Fears Rise For Missing Tenerife Children Abducted By Father By Boat
The Spanish authorities have issued an international search warrant for a father who allegedly kidnapped his two daughters aged one and six and told his ex-wife she would never see them again.
The incident happened in the port city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Spanish resort island of Tenerife in the autonomous community of the Canary Islands where the girls were last seen on Tuesday 27th April.
Local media said the Spanish authorities issued an international search warrant for Tomas Antonio Gimeno, 37, after his ex-wife, identified as Beatriz Z., told the police he kidnapped their two daughters named Anna, 1, and Olivia, 6, Gimeno Zimmerman.
Beatriz also told the authorities Gimeno called her before they went missing and told her she would never see the three of them again.
The suspect was filmed sailing by CCTV cameras on Wednesday (28 April) at a port in Tenerife and reportedly had several bags on board but his daughters were not seen.
Agents from the Spanish Civil Guard later found the boat abandoned off the coast of Puertito de Guimar and found traces of blood on the vessel but it has not been reported who the blood belonged to.
They also found a kiddy child car seat floating in the water which reportedly belonged to one of the young girls.
The authorities have searched the area for Gimeno and his young daughters and intensified their security at airports and ports but have come up empty.
Local sources said the police are open to any possibility but consider the situation high-risk. They issued an international search warrant for Gimeno for allegedly kidnapping his daughters.
The search for Anna and Olivia continues.