What started out as a child custody dispute is now a criminal matter. Police in the Denver-area neighborhood of Lakewood said 27-year-old father James Paul Chavez placed a loaded .22-caliber pistol in his 4-year-old daughter's backpack, the Denver Post reported.
Considering that courts are tasked with considering the best interests of the child when deciding child custody disputes, it doesn't take a Georgia family law attorney to know that this incident will not help his case.
A preschool teacher at Molholm Elementary School found the gun in the girl's backpack while tidying the classroom toward the end of the school day last Wednesday. James Chavez reportedly begged the school's principal not to call the police after he called to notify him of the alarming discovery.
But the principal, John D'Orazio, said he had a duty to notify police.
James Chavez initially told police that the girl's mother, with whom the father was embroiled in a child custody battle, had placed the gun in the backpack. But Lakewood police officer told him his story "didn't make any sense," which prompted him to admit he had put the gun in the bag but forgot to remove it.
He then told investigators that he carried the gun for protection following a 2003 incident in which he was wounded in an attempt on his life. The shooter, he claims, was never caught. But he doesn't have a concealed weapon permit, according to Lakewood police spokesman Steve Davis.
Regardless of his regret for making the mistake, he was charged with child abuse, reckless endangerment and carrying a weapon on school grounds. Police said he may face even more charges and that they're in the process of checking the gun's history and registration status.
If you're curious about how criminal matters affect child custody disputes and related issues, you may benefit from contacting an Atlanta family law attorney.
Related Resources:
- Preference for the "Primary Caretaker" (FindLaw)
- Find an Atlanta Divorce Attorney (FindLaw)
- Man Killed in Strange Scheme to Gain Child Custody (FindLaw's Legally Weird Blog)
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