A nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for a downstate Illinois man sought in connection to the disappearance of a teenage girl and her 2-week-old son, authorities confirmed Monday.
Christopher Derleth, 39, of Edwardsville, is wanted on charges of aggravated kidnapping and child abduction charges, according to the Madison County State’s Attorney’s office.
Katherine Derleth, 13, and her son Christopher Derleth, may be in the company of Katherine’s stepfather, Christopher, according to the Madison County Sheriff’s office. He is known to drive a green 1997 Mercury Villager Minivan with Illinois Registration E833210. He is an avid camper and may be in a rural camp ground or hotel or motel, authorities said.
Law enforcement believes the trio may be in West Virginia, Madison County State's Attorney Tom Gibbons said in a phone interview Monday.
"Early in the investigation there were indications the defendant may be trying to take the 13-year-old and the baby to West Virginia," he said.
Gibbons said the West Virginia State Police issued an AMBER alert that yielded a possible siting on I-77 South just outside of Charleston near mile marker 94.
Gibbons also said there was previously a Bond County no contact order issued against the elder Christopher Derleth regarding Katherine.
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"There was a juvenile abuse petition filed and in August an order was issued in that case that prohibited him from having contact with her," Gibbons said.
Christopher was not charged with any crimes but investigations were ongoing in Bond County, Gibbons said.
He said Katherine and her sister were in the custody of a foster family in Madison County when authorities believe she and her son were taken.
The primary concern authorities have right now, Gibbons added, is getting the young mother and child somewhere safe and ensuring they both have proper medical attention.
"I think it's fair to say that this is a family in crisis and really a broken situation," he said.
Anyone with information on the matter is asked to contact the Madison County Sheriff’s Office at 618-692-4433.
