Antelope Valley father accused of kidnapping own kids fights charges after arrest warrant is quashed

An Antelope Valley father accused of kidnapping his own children has had a warrant for his arrest quashed.

In July, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department issued a “be on the lookout” alert for David Sukonick and his two children.

Sukonick told ABC7 he is being falsely accused of abusing and mistreating his 10-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.

According to the Sheriff’s Department, the Department of Children and Family Services had a removal order for the children.

Deputies allege Sukonick refused to comply with the order, assaulted a social worker and fled with the children. Sukonick denied wrongdoing.

“They’ve slandered my name,” Sukonick said. “I’ve never done a crime. I have no crimes against me.”

His attorney, Mitchell Krems, also disputed the allegations.

“At no time whatsoever did he ever abduct the kids or abscond with the kids,” Krems said. “He’s a great dad and we really want to emphasize that he’s had these kids for years. And they’ve always been safe, no injuries whatsoever. They’ve been happy in his care.”

Although the warrant for Sukonick’s arrest has been quashed, he still faces several misdemeanor counts, including child stealing. He is due back in court in December. He has pleaded not guilty to all counts and is fighting to regain custody of his children from DCFS.

DCFS says it cannot disclose involvement with families.