Mexican father who reported 2 kids kidnapped charged with giving them away to settle debt

Mexico dad charged with giving away kids for debt

MEXICO CITY — Prosecutors in the capital charged Sunday that a man who reported his two children kidnapped last week really gave them to a woman to settle a debt of 25,000 pesos, or about $1,925.

The kidnapping report from Javier Covarrubias, 20, set off riots and street blockades in the poor Tepito neighborhood in central Mexico City as dozens of residents demanded that authorities provide more security.

The city prosecutor’s office said in a statement that Covarrubias admitted he lied about his children’s disappearance to keep his wife from finding out about his debt.

However, when the suspect was displayed to journalists Sunday as prosecutors announced his arrest, he denied the prosecutor’s account, according to the websites of the Mexico City newspapers Reforma and El Universal.

Prosecutors said police were still looking for the two children. The office did not give the age of the youngsters, but media reports have said they are 1 and 2.