U.S. Marshals Task Force, multi-agencies locate missing children, father arrested in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, MA (WGGB/WSHM) – Authorities have located two missing children in Springfield and their noncustodial father is now under arrest. U.S. Marshals reunited two children with their family in Puerto Rico more than two years after they were first reported missing.

Two children reunited with their family Monday in Springfield, more than two years after they first went missing.

In June 2021, the children did not return from a visitation with their father, Luis Gonzalez-Fontanez, that prompted an investigation.

“The Puerto Rico Police Department ended up getting an arrest warrant for Luis and they had a problem tracking him down,” explained Matthew Duffy.

Western Mass News spoke with Matthew Duffy, who is the Supervisor of the U.S Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Duffy said the suspect shared custody with the children’s mother. She was living in Puerto Rico at the time and he was in Connecticut.

“The U.S. Task Force in Puerto Rico tracked Luis to the Connecticut area, at which point in time, they contacted us and we took over the investigation to try to find Luis and the children,” noted Duffy.

A few days after taking over the investigation, the task force was able to find the kids in Springfield at a residence on Tyler Street.

Duffy said finding those two children was a multi-agency effort.

“It was great work with the Massachusetts State Police, the Hampden Sheriff’s Department, Springfield Police Department and the Hartford Police Department and the U.S Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force, all working together to safely recover these children, reunite them with their family and arrest Luis,” expressed Duffy.

The U.S. Marshal Service shared with us this mug shot of the suspect. He was charged as a fugitive of justice. Now, he’ll be sent back to Puerto Rico where he faces several charges including unlawful custody.

But this isn’t the first time the U.S. Marshals Service has stepped in to find missing children.

About seven years ago, the U.S. Marshals Service’s Missing Child Unit partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

A partnership which Duffy said came about as a result of the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force’s high success rate in finding fugitives.

Last year, the Marshal Service helped find nearly 500 missing children across the country, a 16 percent increase from the year before.

Since the start of the program back in 2015, 61 percent of the missing children were found within one week of the U.S. Marshals stepping in.

Western Mass News asked Duffy how the kids are doing, and he said they seem to be okay and have been reunited with their family.