Post by Scumhunter on Nov 18, 2021 1:28:48 GMT -5
(Above: Robert Vicosa (wanted fugitive) & Tia Bynum (believed to be traveling with and allegedly helping Bynum. Photo Credirs: wbaltv.com)
(Above: Top: Aaminah Vicosa (6) Bottom: Giana Vicosa (7), both allegedly abducted by Vicosa. Photo Credits: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's Missingkids.org website)
From wbaltv.com:
YORK, Pa. —
Police in Pennsylvania are searching for a former Baltimore County police officer and a suspended officer, after one of them was accused of kidnapping his own children at gunpoint.
Investigators said they believe Robert Vicosa and Tia Bynum are traveling together.
"Do the right thing, Robert. Bring them back," York Area Regional Police Lt. Ken Schollenberger said at a news conference Wednesday morning. "At one time, you were a police officer. In your heart, you know what you are doing is not right."
Investigators said Vicosa kidnapped his two children at gunpoint after attacking his ex-wife.
"She was assaulted there violently, and she was there for over 24 hours, possibly more. She reported to us there were guns involved -- multiple guns, multiple calibers, long rifles and handguns. There was some drug use going on at the home," Schollenberger said.
Police said they believe Vicosa is being helped by Bynum, a close friend, who is, as of Wednesday, suspended and her police powers stripped.
Vicosa and the children were last seen Tuesday morning in Felten, Pennsylvania, just above the Maryland line.
Vicosa used a woman's camper as a hideout. She told the 11 News I-Team she had no idea he was in there.
"It was very terrifying," she said. "He came out of the camper and he had a towel wrapped around him ... He had the gun on me. I stood right there and I (held my hands up) ... He wanted to tie me. 'Anything in the camper to tie you up?' I said, 'No, I don't.' I said, 'Take my car' (and) got my keys, gave them to him."
"The way it happened is unbelievable. He drove that car through the woods and brought it up along here and in the canal he went," said the woman's husband, Ron.
Held at gunpoint, the woman said Vicosa used her phone to call for someone to come get him. She said Vicosa told her he didn't like the way his ex-wife's family was treating his daughters. He then left her alone with his daughters to get his phone from his car that was partially submerged in a canal.
"I thought, 'What am I going to do?' I thought, 'OK, I have a shotgun.' So, I loaded the shotgun and I came up to the little girls and had the shotgun to the side. I said, 'Is your daddy going to hurt me?' She said, 'No, my daddy is nice,'" the woman said.
The woman said she then left the children outside, ran inside her house, and locked the door. Vicosa left in her car when he couldn't get her to come back out.
"We are worried about the kids. That's the sad part, the girls, you know? What's going to happen, you know?" Ron said.
Police said the public should not approach Vicosa because he has at least one firearm. Vicosa joined the Baltimore County Police Department in December 2014. He was terminated on Aug. 5 after previously being demoted from sergeant to officer.
Bynum joined the department in December 2007.
Pennsylvania State Police have issued a missing endangered person advisory for the children.
Vicosa has also been known to go by the name Robert Brown.
www.wbaltv.com/article/robert-vicosa-tia-bynum-search-pennsylvania/38282280
NCMEC link: api.missingkids.org/poster/NCMC/1436357/1/screen
Thoughts? As of this posting date (November 18th, 2021), Aaminah and Giana are still listed on Missingkids.org as missing children and Robert Vicosa is still listed as their alleged abductor. A few more technical notes than usual:
-Although Tia Bynum is allegedly on the run with Vicosa, articles at least from the ones I've found don't state her as being officially charged with any felonies, hence why she isn't listed in the headline for this thread as a fugitive with Vicosa.
-I normally put parental abduction cases in the missing section since even though the abductors are technically fugitives, it is the sole charge and the case is about finding the kids. The exceptions are when there are additional felonies allegedly committed which is the case here. I realize the other day I put Jacob and Amber Clare in the missing section despite Noah Clare being charged with "Especially Aggravated Kidnapping" but I'm still not sure what that means and it was unclear if he was wanted for anything in addition to allegedly abducting the children.
-Articles state police officials as saying no Amber Alerts were issued since the vehicle of interest was found in the beginning of the investigation. Apparently there needs to be a vehicle attached to the case in most instances for a parental abduction Amber Alert.
Admin Note #1: According to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children's Missingkids.org website, anyone having information should call 1-800-THE-LOST or the York Area Regional Police Department (Pennsylvania) 1-717-741-1259
Admin Note #2: If you have any (news-related) updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form