Bond Denied For Woman Charged In Mini-Mart Abduction
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The father of two of the three children who were abducted by a carjacker for two hours on Monday says he does not blame her, saying "she is human."
"I'm a Dad myself and I understand these things happen," said Anthony Milhomme, whose five-year-old son Anthony, six-year-old daughter Kaila and six-year-old nephew Isaiah Paul were taken for a ride by the carjacker from a Mini Mart convenience store on 62nd Street in Miami.
After a two-hour search, they were found a few blocks away from where Milhomme's car was stolen.
Milhomme told CBS4's Peter D'Oench, "I'm grateful to have my children back. I have no bad feelings towards the woman who took them. She is human. I'm just happy they are safe and the woman was not hurt and they were not hurt."
Sharonda Scott, who is the mother of Anthony and Kaila, said, "I'm rejoicing that the kids are back. This is all in God's hands what happened."
Milhomme was charged with child neglect after Miami Police said he left the children alone in a running car for 15 minutes. He originally said they were left alone for no more than two minutes.
"I just don't think that was right, those charges," said Milhomme. "Anyone who knows me knows that I would never neglect my children. But things will work out. I'm sure."
D'Oench asked Kaila Milhomme if she was happy to be back home.
The six-year-old girl smiled and said, "Yes."
Milhomme spoke out as the alleged carjacker, Verlan Verdier, 33, came before a judge. She was held without bond and faces charges including false imprisonment of children, kidnapping, robbery and grand theft auto.
"I didn't take nobody's child," she said in bond court. She was brought to court wearing a black protective vest that is normally reserved for combative inmates or those on suicide watch.
The children were so upset about the abduction on Tuesday morning that their grandmother said they had to be picked up from school.
Elisna Milhomme, the grandmother, said, "They called me from school to come pick them up. They don't feel good."
According to the family, the children said before they were taken, Verdier approached the father's car asking for a dollar. Milhomme went inside the store and when he came back outside, the children were gone.
The children said Verdier even robbed them of $5.
The children's family members said they did not believe that Verdier intended to harm the children. They believe she just wanted the car.
