BRONX — Two people, including the mother, were arrested in connection to the disappearance of a 5-year-old boy from New Hampshire.
Attorney General John M. Formella, New Hampshire State Police, and Merrimack Police told Boston 25 News Monday afternoon that 5-year-old Elijah Lewis’s mother, Danielle Denise Dauphinais, 35, was arrested, along with Joseph Stapf, 30, in the Bronx, New York, on Sunday. Warrants were issued in this investigation in New Hampshire for both Dauphinais and Stapf before their arrests.
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Dauphinais and Stapf are both facing charges for witness tampering and child endangerment. The witness tampering charges allege that they asked other people to lie about Elijah and where he was living, knowing that child protection service workers were searching for Elijah. The endangerment charge alleges that they violated a duty of care, protection, or support for Elijah, authorities say.
Both Dauphinais and Stapf waived their formal extraditions, meaning they will return to NH for arraignment in Hillsborough County Superior Court, Southern District, later this week.
Officials confirmed to Boston 25 News that they are continuing to search for Elijah and are requesting the public’s assistance in finding him.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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