According to the Charleston Post and Courier article of November 8, 2008, Viridiana's husband, Jorge Maldonado is now in custody on charges unrelated to her disappearance.
When Maldonado, 22, stepped off the a plane in Atlanta on Wednesday, federal agents took him into custody. His attorney in the custody case, Tommy Bolus, explained the situation to a judge during Friday's hearing.
"He's in federal custody, he can't assert his rights today," Bolus told Judge Tommy Edwards of the 10th Judicial Circuit. "Obviously, right now, he's held up."
Jorge Maldonado had taken their child and fled to the Dominican Republic in August during a fight for custody with Viridiana's family. The judge deciding the case ordered him to attend a hearing, with the child, on the custody issue in November, but much to his surprise, federal agents took him into custody for totally unrelated charges and he is now incarcerated.
Early in 2007 Viridiana and her husband lived near Tacoma, Washington where he was stationed with the Army. There were incidents of domestic violence and Viridiana left the home with her children, living in a shelter for 3 months before returning to her family in North Charleston. She was last seen on the evening of October 11, 2007 as she left to go out with friends. She vanished.
Jorge returned to South Carolina to take his child away from Viridiana's family and took him back to Washington until he was discharged from the Army. He then moved back to South Carolina.
Early on in the investigation he reported to officers that he was in Washington at the time that Viridiana disappeared, however, it was found the same day that Viridiana disappeared, October 11, he had been questioned by police in an Ilinois parking lot, and that his cell phone records show usage several times on a route from Illinois to South Carolina. When confronted with the information, Jorge quit talking to investigators.
In this small child's little life he has been back and forth across the country, lost his mother, taken from her family, taken out of the country to live, taken from his father and has been placed with his aunt. Tell me what kind of emotional repercussions are in store for him? I have every reason to believe that he is in a loving home, and a loving environment, but what is in store for him next? May this little one find peace someday knowing that his mother is found, and may that day be soon. Viridiana Maldonado needs to be found and reunited with her family.
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