Boy who fled chemo returns to Minnesota
NEW ULM, Minn. (AP) -- A woman and her 13-year-old son who were on the run from court-ordered cancer treatment for the boy have returned to Minnesota, the Brown County Sheriff's Office said Monday.
"Daniel Hauser and his mother have been returned to Minnesota," according to a news release. It did not reveal any additional details, but said there would be a news conference Monday evening.
The FBI's affidavit in support of an arrest warrant for Colleen alleges she fled the state Tuesday to avoid being prosecuted on two state counts of depriving another of custodial or parental rights in Brown County.
The FBI said the pair flew from Minnesota to Los Angeles last Tuesday on Sun Country Airlines. Investigators suspected they might have headed to one of a number of alternative cancer clinics in northern Mexico.
Doctors say Daniel has a cancerous tumor growing in his chest that's likely to kill him without chemotherapy, but the Hausers prefer natural healing methods inspired by American Indian traditions.
The American Cancer Society estimates there are 35 to 50 clinics in Mexican border towns that attract cancer patients looking for alternatives to traditional U.S. treatment methods. Many of these clinics have offices in the San Diego area that serve as contact points for U.S. patients, who are then referred to clinics in Mexico.
On Thursday, Anthony Hauser appeared before reporters asking his wife to call him and to come home. "If you're out there, please bring Danny home so we can decide as a family what Danny's treatment should be," he said.
The county had charged Colleen Hauser with depriving another of custodial or parental rights. The "parental rights" refer to those of Brown County family services, which was granted custody of Daniel to get him to a pediatric oncologist.
At a news conference Thursday, Brown County Sheriff Rich Hoffmann vowed to arrange a safe return for Colleen Hauser without an enforcement action if she shows "a good faith effort to come back."
