By Sam Zeff
In a matter of hours Wednesday, Jackson County Legislator Manny Abarca was criminally charged in Missouri and Kansas in connection with a domestic dispute and the disappearance of his 2-year-old son.
The toddler and Abarca have been located and are safe, according to a statement from Shawnee police Wednesday.
The pair was last seen in Shawnee, Kansas. Abarca’s wife posted on social media over the weekend that she had not seen either her husband or son since Thursday, May 28. She filed a missing persons report with the Shawnee police.
On Wednesday, Abarca’s wife told the Kansas City Star in a text message that her son has been returned to her care.
The Johnson County District Attorney charged Abarca Wednesday with one count of domestic battery, according to online jail records. Charging documents accuse Abarca, 37, of “rude physical contact” with a family member in Shawnee, Kansas.
He was booked into the county jail Wednesday afternoon and released an hour later on a $1,500 personal recognizance bond.
Abarca, who represents Jackson County’s First District, was also charged Wednesday in Kansas City Municipal Court with violating a protection order “by failing to return the minor child” to his mother.
Both charges are misdemeanors.
Abarca and his son were listed as missing on the KBI website since Sunday but as of Wednesday night their names are gone.
Abarca is reportedly also facing a civil hearing on Monday in Jackson County Family Court for violating the protection order.
In a statement issued late Wednesday, Abarca said the charges limit what he can say. “However, I will say that I love my children more than anything, and I will always put them first. I hope that this issue is decided quickly so that the entire story can be told,” he wrote.
As KCUR’s metro reporter, I hold public officials accountable. Are cities spending your tax money wisely? Are police officers and other officials acting properly? I will track down malfeasance by seeking open records and court documents, and by building relationships across the city. But I also need you — email me with any tips at sam@kcur.org, find me on Twitter @samzeff or call me at 816-235-5004.
