SOUTH LAKE TAHOE – Two South Lake Tahoe children are back with their mother following a visit-turned-abduction in which their father took them to Mexico and refused to return them in accordance with court orders.  The children were supposed to be returned to their mother by August 15, 2016.   When their mother realized that her children, both 9 years old, were not on their scheduled flight and instead had been abducted by their father into Mexico, she immediately called authorities.

On September 1, 2016, following  an intense,  two week investigation by California Department of Justice (DOJ) special agents, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office and Baja California State Preventive Police, the children’s father, Scott Selger was arrested in the Rosarito Beach area of Mexico. The children were recovered and released to their mother unharmed.

District Attorney Investigator Bryan Kuhlmann, with the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office South Lake Tahoe, along with family members, spent hours communicating with Selger via Skype and on the phone to negotiate the return of the children.  Despite those efforts, Selger allegedly refused to follow court orders and bring the children to their mother.  Based on information gathered during the investigation, it was believed that Selger was in the Rosarito area of Baja California, Mexico.  His vehicle was located in Rosarito on September 1st and he and the children were nearby.  The Baja California State Preventive Police arrested Selger at that location and the children were immediately returned to their mother, who was with California DOJ special agents District Attorney Investigator Kuhlmann.

Mr. Selger will be deported to the United States where he will be arraigned in El Dorado County. His current bail stands at $500,000.

According to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s office, the safe return of the children to their mother and the arrest of their father  would not have happened without the close cooperation of the California Department of Justice, the Baja California (Mexico) State Preventive Police and the work of Investigator Kuhlmann with the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office.

“This had to be a very gratifying moment for the agents and investigators involved,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “Seeing two children safely returned into their mother’s arms, but we must not forget the skills, training and bravery of these law enforcement professional who work together to rescue children throughout the country and throughout the world.  They are true heroes.”