In the late summer of 2004, a heart-wrenching story began to unfold in the Flushing neighborhood of Queens, New York, involving a 10-month-old girl named Emily Juan. Emily, a biracial child of Asian and Caucasian descent, was last seen on September 5, 2004. At the time of her disappearance, she was described as having brown hair, brown eyes, dimples, and a small red birthmark on her right wrist. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance point to an alleged parental abduction by her mother, Nadia Juan. The situation escalated when Emily's father, Cary Sartin, arrived at the apartment Emily shared with her mother for his scheduled weekly visit on September 10, only to find them gone.
Following their disappearance, legal actions were swiftly taken. The New York Family Court issued a summons for Nadia to appear with Emily on September 14, an appointment she failed to keep. Consequently, custody of Emily was awarded to her father. Investigations soon revealed that Nadia had traveled with Emily to Taiwan on September 6, just one day after she was last seen in New York. This led to a federal warrant being issued for Nadia's arrest on charges of international parental kidnapping on February 17, 2005. Reports indicate that Taiwanese authorities later prevented Nadia from leaving the country with Emily, sparking a protracted custody battle within the Taiwanese legal system.
The case of Emily Juan remains an unresolved international custody dispute. Despite the immense legal and geographical barriers, Emily's father was reportedly able to visit her in Taiwan after the abduction. During these visits, it was said that Emily remembered and missed him. However, he was legally barred from bringing his daughter back to the United States pending the outcome of the custody proceedings in Taiwan. Nadia Juan, who may also use the aliases Mei-Fen or Julia, was 37 years old at the time of the abduction. The investigation into Emily's disappearance is ongoing, with law enforcement agencies in New York City continuing to seek a resolution to this long and complex case of alleged parental kidnapping.
Last Seen: Sep 05, 2004
