Images of Jafar Almaarej and his vehicle (Millcreek Township Police Department).
A Michigan man turned himself in to police after being accused of kidnapping his daughter from Pennsylvania and making terroristic threats. He had been previously barred from seeing her.
Jafar Almaarej, 39, was on the run after visiting his ex-wife in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Sunday for a custody visit with their 7-year-old daughter. According to Millcreek Township Police Detective Adam Hardner, Almaarej sent his ex-wife a text while she was at work, stating that he was leaving with the child.
Hardner told WJBK that Almaarej also allegedly told his ex-wife that if she called the police, “they would have to search for their bones.”
Police Chief Carter Mook reported to Law&Crime that Almaarej surrendered to authorities around 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday. He assured that the girl was safe and would reunite with her mother, with Almaarej expected to be arraigned on the same day.
Hardner mentioned that Almaarej’s ex-wife holds sole custody of their daughter and has a protection order against him, preventing any contact between him and the two of them.
Despite the protective order, Hardner noted that the mother left her 7-year-old daughter with Almaarej voluntarily while she went to work on Sunday.
Authorities had been searching in Erie County, Pennsylvania, and expanded the search to Dearborn, Michigan, where Almaarej resides. It was suggested by Hardner that Almaarej might have switched license plates on his black Jeep Wrangler during his time on the run.
