Father of Monterey Park teen charged with falsely reporting her missing, hiding her

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The father of a 15-year-old girl who went missing for a week in Monterey Park has been charged with falsely reporting her missing and concealing her, the District Attorney's Office announced Tuesday.

A felony charge of child stealing/concealment and a misdemeanor count of false report of an emergency were filed against Jeffery Chao, according to the office of DA George Gascón.

Chao, 40, was arrested on Friday, just days after the supposedly missing girl, Alison Chao, turned up outside ABC7 in Glendale after she was spotted by a passing driver.

Chao appeared in court briefly on Tuesday to enter a not-guilty plea. Bail was set at $500,000 and he was expected to be released after posting bond.

The DA's office says Chao falsely reported his daughter missing on July 16 and concealed her whereabouts as law enforcement and the community mounted an intense search.

The DA says he also "induced others, including a minor, to participate in the commission of the offense of child stealing/concealment."

If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison.

"Falsely reporting a child as missing not only violates the law but also diverts critical law enforcement resources away from other serious matters," Gascón said in a written statement. "This type of behavior will not be tolerated, and we will hold the responsible individual accountable for his actions."

Alison's parents, Jeffery and Annie Chao, are in the midst of a divorce and child-custody battle, with the mother recently awarded full custody of the teen.

Alison's mother released a lengthy statement Friday, saying she's been estranged from Jeffery for more than a year and that he drove a wedge between her and her daughter.

"I believe that Jeff coached Alison to make false accusations against me and he continues to thwart and undermine my relationship with Alison," read the statement. "Before our separation, I had a close, loving relationship with Alison."

Eyewitness News also learned Annie Chao filed for a restraining order against Jeffery the day before their daughter went missing and court documents show the next day, a judge gave full custody of Alison to her mother.

Alison's aunt said last week she believed the girl left her mother's home because she did not want to live with her mother.

At a press conference after Alison was found outside ABC7, Jeffery Chao thanked the public for their help in the search for Alison.

"I really appreciate everyone coming out," he said. "I'd really like to thank all the friends, the community that came out and helped find her. We've been really worried about where she's been. And really appreciate what everybody's done and helped out with."