A man charged with kidnapping his son from protective custody in Montana turned himself in to police after asking a reporter to take him to authorities.
Christopher M. Nemelka, 29, first talked about the June 13 abduction of his son, Josh, 5, and then asked The Salt Lake Tribune's Jon Ure to take him to the Salt Lake County sheriff's office to surrender.Nemelka was taken into custody late Friday and booked into jail on a fugitive warrant. He was released about 5 p.m. Saturday after posting $20,000 bail, jail records showed.
Montana authorities said they would seek Nemelka's extradition to Ravalli County to face felony charges.
Nemelka, a Utah native, said he had worked as a gardener in the Salt Lake area for the past two months. His current wife, Jacqueline, is pregnant and is hiding in the area with the boy.
Nemelka has refused to divulge her whereabouts since she also is charged with kidnapping in Montana. The couple have two children of their own.
Ravalli County, Mont., Sheriff's Deputy Bill Henne said the charges carry maximum penalties of not less than two years nor more than 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.
Nemelka said he took his son after a judge ordered custody of Josh and a daughter, Brittany, 7, to the Montana Division of Family Services pending investigation of child abuse charges. He said he did not take the girl because she wanted to stay with her mother.
Henne said no child abuse charges had been filed in Montana against Nemelka.
Nemelka said he had been granted custody of the children in a 1986 divorce from Paula Blades Nemelka.
Four years later, Nemelka said, he moved his new family to Victor, Mont., so Josh and Brittany could be closer to their mother, who has since married Carl Ladenburg, of Columbia Falls, Mont.
Mrs. Ladenburg said she would not comment on the case on advice of her attorney, James Oelson. Oelson also would not comment.
Nemelka said after he fled Montana with Josh, his wife and their two children, he drove to Idaho Falls, Idaho. They later came to Salt Lake City, where he has been hiding until Friday.