The person at the center of this case
Francina Dacanay Fernandez
Missing Person · Open
21 years waiting · since 2004
FRANCINA DACANAY FERNANDEZ
Justice for Francina Dacanay Fernandez — the trail went cold in 2004, but the truth hasn't.
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Key leads to think about
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location
Lead #1Did Francina Fernandez successfully flee to the Philippines with her three sons as suspected?
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evidence
Lead #2Why were the children's passports never returned to the court as ordered?
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contact
Lead #3What connections or relatives in the Philippines might have assisted Fernandez in fleeing?
Francina Dacanay Fernandez disappeared in November 2004 after a San Diego family court ordered her not to remove her three sons from California jurisdiction. She allegedly fled with the children to the Philippines despite the court order and never returned her children's passports. Federal authorities issued an international parental kidnapping warrant in February 2005, and she remains wanted for three counts of child abduction.
Case
#1120
United States District Court, Southern District of California; San Diego County
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More leads to consider
Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.
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person
Lead #4Where are the three adult sons now, and have they maintained contact with their father?
Have information about any of these leads?
Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.
Official wording
Source Narrative
International Parental Kidnapping - Detainment or Consealment of a Child From Legal Custodian During the course of their relationship, Francina Fernandez and her boyfriend had three boys, who are now adults. The couple never married and in June of 2001 the relationship ended.
The two became embroiled in a very lengthy and aggressive custody-visitation dispute in the San Diego Family Court. In early November of 2004, the mother reportedly mentioned to the father that she and the children were planning a 2-week vacation in New Zealand.
He told her that the trip would violate the court orders, and Fernandez's attorney was served with a notice of an ex-parte hearing scheduled for November 8, 2004. At the hearing, a judge ordered that neither parent could take the children out of the jurisdiction of the court and that the children's passports were to be relinquished.
The passports were never returned. Also, in November it was reported that Fernandez abruptly left her job and a relative filed a missing person's report for her.
Fernandez may have fled with her children to the Philippines. On December 9, 2004, a state warrant was issued in the state of California, San Diego County, charging Francina Dacanay Fernandez with three counts of child abduction.
A federal arrest warrant was subsequently issued on February 4, 2005, in the United States District Court, Southern District of California, charging Fernandez with international parental kidnapping. Remarks: Francina Fernandez has ties to California and the Philippines.
Timeline of Events
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2004-11-08
Ex-parte hearing and court order
Judge ordered neither parent could take children out of court jurisdiction and passports were to be relinquished
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2004-11-01
Francina Fernandez and children disappear
Fernandez abruptly left her job and disappeared with her three sons; relative filed missing person report
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2004-12-09
State warrant issued
California state warrant issued in San Diego County charging Francina Dacanay Fernandez with three counts of child abduction
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2005-02-04
Federal arrest warrant issued
United States District Court, Southern District of California issued federal warrant for international parental kidnapping
Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case
Case Information
Incident:November 8, 2004
Last Updated:September 10, 2026
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Case Information
Incident:November 8, 2004
Last Updated:September 10, 2026