Is there anything I can do to people harboring my 14 year old son in New Mexico

Question

Is there anything I can do to people harboring my 14 year old son in New Mexico

Answer

There is a statute, NMSA 40-4-4, titled custodial interference, that makes it a crime to take, conceal, detain, etc. a child against the wishes of the rightful custodian. it's a fourth degree felony.

That said, if the child is a runaway, before you call the cops you might want to consider whether if he is returned to you, he will stay with you or run again. He might be better off where he is than where he might end up if he runs away again. In any event you should be prepared to thoroughly explore the reasons he doesn't want to stay with you. Once a kid that age gets it in his head he's in control, then he really is.

Likely if you call the cops they will also alert the Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD) who will likely start looking into the situation and may come up with conclusions you won't like.

If you think the child is being abused by these people then you should report it to the CYFD hotline.