In the small town of Culpeper, Virginia, a family's life was forever altered on January 18, 2011, with the disappearance of three-year-old Gabriel Leonardo Makielski-Rivera. On that winter day, Gabriel, a biracial boy of Hispanic and White descent with black hair and black eyes, vanished alongside his eight-year-old sister, Isabel. At the time, Gabriel was described as being about 3 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 38 pounds, with a distinct oval-shaped birthmark on his leg.
The last time he was seen, he was wearing a green coat, a light white sweater, and blue jeans. The children were taken by their non-custodial mother, Maria Rivera-Estevez, in the midst of a contentious divorce from their father, Robert Makielski.
The disappearance was soon discovered to be an international abduction, as Maria had fled with Gabriel and Isabel to her native Dominican Republic without their father's consent. This act prompted a lengthy and frustrating legal battle for Robert Makielski. In February 2011, just a month after they were taken, he filed for his children's return to the United States under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Concurrently, a felony warrant was issued for Maria's arrest for custody violation. Despite these legal measures in the U.S., the situation grew more complex. Maria filed for divorce and custody in the Dominican Republic, alleging that Robert had been abusive—a claim he has denied. The Dominican court ultimately denied the petition to return the children, and Robert has not seen or had any contact with his son and daughter since they were taken.
While a court in Culpeper County granted Robert sole physical and legal custody of Gabriel and Isabel in December 2012, the ruling remains unenforceable as long as the children and their mother are in the Dominican Republic. Authorities believe they may be residing in the capital city of Santo Domingo, possibly traveling in a red 2003 Honda CRV. The case of Gabriel Makielski-Rivera is one of parental abduction, a painful situation that has left a father separated from his children for many years. The hope remains that one day Gabriel and his sister will be safely reunited with their father. Anyone with information regarding their whereabouts is encouraged to contact the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office.Last Seen: Jan 18, 2011
