LOS ANGELES (CBS) – Felony arrest warrants have been issued for two brothers suspected of kidnapping their three sons a month ago, the mothers’ publicist announced Saturday.
The arrest warrants for George Silah, 46, and Jean John Silah, 47, were issued Friday after the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office determined they may have abducted the children, according to Cherie Kerr of KerrPR.
A District Attorney spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.
John Silah picked up his child, 9-year-old Greg, from his ex-wife for a summer vacation visit on June 23.
A court order obligated him to return Greg to his mother by July 2.
He failed to do so, and police noted that he had threatened to take their son to his home nation of Syria in the past.
At the same time, George Silah had his two sons, Alexander Silah, 12, and Zaven Silah, 8, at the home the brothers shared with their parents in the 7300 block of West 81st Street.
He was scheduled to take his sons on a cruise on July 5, but never made
that cruise.
The mothers of the boys hired a public relations firm to tell their side of the story.
They claim the two men have received threats against their lives, and are worried because the three sons are apparently with their fathers.
There is a $500,000 bond on both brothers, according to the family law attorney for the mothers of the missing children, Ronald Brot of Brot & Gross in Sherman Oaks.
“These children have been missing since early July and we have reason to believe they are in danger,” Brot said.
“We are hopeful that with these warrants the pursuit of the children will be stepped up considerably. We want these children home with their mothers where they belong.”
They were last thought to be in a stolen, silver Infiniti G-35, plate number 6DZS016, despite earlier reports that they had taken the three boys and fled to Syria.
Authorities do not believe the two fathers have left California.
Zanni Merguerian, mother of Alex and Zaven, and Christine Jeanbart, mother of Greg, pleaded for the fathers to return their sons unharmed.
“We’re begging them to drop the children off in a safe place so they may return home,” said Zanni Merguerian.
“Our children must be terrified,” said Christine Jeanbart.
According to the mother’s publicist, the recent investigation of the brothers’ abandoned home revealed that the brothers left in a hurry sometime on or shortly after July 2, and George Silah’s girlfriend disappeared at the same time.
Anyone with information on the case was asked to call detectives at
(310) 482-6334.