Fears grow for two abducted Utah boys as police believe troubled dad smuggled them into Mexico… as his final movements and dire personal life are laid bare

A Utah father, believed to have kidnapped his two young sons, may have taken them over the Mexican border after quitting his job and facing ‘dire’ money troubles, authorities say.

Dane Stephen Richman, 46, allegedly took his sons, one-year-old Will and infant Wesley, after failing to return them to their mother Lizzie Tomich during a custody exchange on Saturday.

According to a new indictment against Richman, prosecutors said the father was ‘upside down’ on his mortgage and was forced to take an extra line of credit out on his home equity, describing his financial situation as ‘dire.’

Authorities said Richman sold all of his possessions and abandoned his home in Saratoga Springs, and on May 11 he quit his job at construction company FiberTel.

Richman was in the midst of a bitter custody dispute, and when he quit his job he told his boss he was ‘unable to continue working due to the current ongoing legal battles with his ex-girlfriend over the custody of his children’, documents said.

In the days since he allegedly took the boys, investigators tracked his cell phone data to San Diego, near the US-Mexico border, the charging documents said.

Investigators said they obtained evidence that leads them to believe he ‘crossed into Mexico’, raising fears for his two young sons’ safety.

Tomich took to social media to plead for their return, saying she knew ‘something was wrong’ when he didn’t show up to hand their sons back over to her over the weekend.

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Will and Wesley Richman, seen with their mother Lizzie Tomlich, are feared to have been taken over the US-Mexico border by their father after he failed to return them during a custody exchange

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The boys’ father Dane Richman, 46, faced ‘dire’ money troubles and quit his job shortly before allegedly kidnapping his sons, prosecutors said in his newly released indictment

Alongside the money troubles that prosecutors detailed in the indictment against Richman, public records obtained by the Daily Mail show the 46-year-old has faced numerous brushes with the law.

This includes at least two arrests for burglary, four arrests for theft, and charges of joyriding and fraud. Richman has also been charged with two counts of custodial interference following the disappearance of his sons.

Authorities have issued an urgent Amber Alert for Will and Wesley, as their family said they are terrified for their safety.

In an appeal to the public for help, investigators said Richman may be traveling with the boys in a black Toyota Camry with a Utah license plate reading A561HL.

The boys’ aunt Kate Walters said the last time the family saw the two boys was when Richman picked them up from their mother’s house in Washington state on May 16, and he then missed a deposition on Friday.

She said police carried out a welfare check on his home in Saratoga Springs soon after, and found a moving truck outside without any items in it.

‘That was terrifying to not know where her boys were,’ Walters told Fox13.

‘So again, unfortunately, because technically he still had custody day, we legally could not do a single thing about it.’

Addressing Richards directly, Walters added: ‘Dane, if there’s any small chance that you see this, your family cares about you and we’re worried about you, and we just need to know that you’re safe.

‘Please bring the babies home, give them the life they were meant to have.’

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Richman was ‘upside down’ on his mortgage and was forced to take an extra line of credit out on his home equity to fix his ‘dire’ money troubles, prosecutors now say

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Police believe Richman and his two young sons may be traveling in a black 2025 Toyota Camry bearing Utah license plate A561HL, amid fears he took the boys over the Mexico border

It comes after Tomich took to social media to issue an urgent appeal for help returning her sons, saying she has been left devastated since the Amber Alert was issued.

Speaking alongside her attorney Brittany Skinner, she said immediately felt the situation was ominous when Richman failed to show up for their custody hearing deposition.

Tomich said she flew to Utah for the deposition only to learn ‘minutes’ before it began that Richman had fired his attorney and ‘would not be attending’ the proceedings.

‘I immediately contacted him via calling his phone and texting. He did not respond. At that point, we called the police to do a welfare check on him,’ the grief-stricken mother said.

‘When the police arrived, we learned that the house was vacant and there were things being moved out. There was no car and Dane and the boys were not home. When we learned this, we knew something was wrong.’

Tomich continued talking to police, at which point Richman finally responded to her through text messages. The boys’ mother asked to call him, but he said he was driving and could call her later on.

‘He did confirm that he was camping, the boys were okay, and that he would be meeting me at our agreed upon time and location to exchange the boys,’ she continued.

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The boys’ mother Lizzie Tomich, seen alongside her attorney Brittany Skinner, took to social media to issue an urgent appeal for her sons’ return

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In text messages, Richman told Tomich he had taken the boys camping and would return them to her on Saturday – but the father never showed up and the boys haven’t been seen since

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‘You’ll be able to see them. Those little boys are so stinking cute. They have the brightest blonde hair and the biggest smiles you’ll ever see. Oh my gosh. Wes, the baby, is the giggliest little baby,’ aunt Walters described

Skinner explained that according to their current temporary court, each party has a week of parenting time, but court orders prevented Richman from leaving the state without permission.

‘On Saturday, I showed up to our designated location. I showed up about 15 minutes early prior to the designated time,’ Tomich said.

‘As the time approached, I began calling and texting him asking for an ETA. He did not respond. At, approximately 12.01 is when I began to panic and when we called police,’ she said tearfully.

‘After further investigation with the police, we learned that Dane’s quit his job,’ Skinner jumped in.

‘He’s sold almost all of his possessions. He has left with almost everything he has, with the clear intention of not returning with these children. So we are coming on here today to TikTok to ask for your help to bring these boys home.’

‘Please, like, share, repost everything, share with your family, share with your friends, anybody you know, they could be anywhere. Please,’ Tomich said through a wavering voice.

‘Just contact authorities and let them know. Keep your eyes out. If you’re at the gas station, if you’re camping, if you are anywhere, be on the lookout. Will and Wesley are two blue, beautiful, blonde-haired little boys that you will recognize,’ Skinner added.

‘…With infectious smiles, they both have dimples and blue eyes, and they will be giggly, hopefully, and laughing,’ Tomich interjected.

SOURCE: Fears grow for two abducted Utah boys as police believe troubled dad smuggled them into Mexico… as his final movements and dire personal life are laid bare | Daily Mail Online