CLAREMONT — Police arrested a 49-year-old man on Friday night after he ignored an emergency custody order from the Vermont Department of Children and Families.
Earlier on Friday, DCF officials notified J’Kem Woodson via phone that there was an emergency custody order for two children in his custody, William Furnari, community outreach lieutenant for Hartford Police, said in a phone interview on Monday.
Woodson proceeded to hang up and turn off his phone. He “fled to Claremont,” Furnari said.
“All indications are that he took steps to hide his location,” Furnari said.
Information on Woodson contained in the affidavit supporting the emergency custody order included prior allegations that Woodson had displayed a handgun and threatened the children’s mother, according to a Hartford Police news release from Wednesday.
After Hartford Police notified surrounding law enforcement agencies and requested community assistance in locating Woodson on Friday, officers obtained a cellphone location “ping” indicating Woodson was in Claremont.
Woodson’s most recent permanent address is in Claremont, Furnari said.
Hartford Police obtained an extraditable arrest warrant for custodial interference and Claremont Police located Woodson at 11:58 p.m. on Friday.
Once Claremont Police confirmed that Woodson was inside the Claremont residence, they took him into custody without incident and the children were found “safe and asleep,” the Hartford news release stated.
The New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families responded to the scene and transferred custody of the children to a Vermont DCF employee, the news release added.
Claremont Police charged Woodson with fugitive from justice and he is currently being held in Sullivan County Department of Corrections in Unity after entering no plea at his arraignment on Tuesday in Claremont District Court.
Woodson’s defense, attorney Patrick Hayes, was not immediately available for comment.
A hearing on extraditing Woodson to Vermont is set for March 2 in Claremont District Court.