Mother arrested after taking off with daughters | News

A Las Vegas mother accused of taking off with her two daughters instead of following a court order to give their father custody is behind bars.

Twenty-nine-year-old Rebecca Montoya's parents pleaded for help Thursday.

Montoya is behind bars in a San Miguel County Jail. Her parents say Montoya's two daughters, two-year-old Mary and nine-month-old Grace are with their father, State Police Officer Thomas Lucero.

Lucero has custody of the girls.

Montoya's parents say she had good reason to leave.

"My daughter got very worried about sending the babies back to Officer Lucero," Anthony Montoya, Rebecca's father, said Thursday.

In April, Lucero came to KOB Eyewitness News 4 asking for help finding his daughters. It turns out Montoya had gone to Portugal.

"I was able to fly over there and convince her that she had a good case. She had too much evidence against Lucero for her to be running away," Anthony Montoya said.

The Montoyas say their daughter left because she was afraid for her girls and herself. Montoya's mother Julia claims, "He has always used his police badge to scare us.  To do what ever he wants."

Now they have no contact with their granddaughters and don't know where to turn.

Montoya accused Lucero of breaking her arm outside a police station about a year ago. Lucero denies that allegation.