Mother, child ordered to visit Mexico in custody case

December 29, 2010

An Albuquerque mother has been ordered by a local judge to travel to Mexico in a unique child custody ruling. On Tuesday morning KOB Eyewitness News 4 met with Lynn Padilla who's being ordered to travel to a place where she doesn't want to visit. "I have never been to Mexico before nor have I had any desire to go to Mexico- but here I am," she says. Padilla has an eight year old daughter with a man named Sean Frei who moved to Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula a while ago. A family court order written by Judge Elizabeth Whitefield says Padilla must go there by the end of the year so her daughter can visit her dad for a week. "I'm trying to be as positive as I can for my daughter to make this a good trip for her. She's excited to see her family there, however throughout the whole processes I felt like it wasn't right. Unfortunately I don't have the financial means to stop it from happening," said Padilla. She fears traveling to Mexico because of the continuing violence in the country and the repeated travel warnings from the U.S. Government. She also doesn't speak Spanish, and worries about not having any legal rights there. KOB wanted to speak with Judge Whitefield about her ruling but found that Whitefield's on holiday break until next week. Padilla says she has no choice or money to appeal the order so she's flying out Tuesday. "I would like my daughter to continue to see her father. She loves him and wants to be a part of his life. I would just like him to see her here; that was my only request." The father, Sean Frei, is paying for all travel expenses. Frei called KOB from Mexico Tuesday and says he acknowledges the mother has fears about traveling but says where he lives is safer and farther away from the violence