December 15, 2025 – Following a 5-day jury trial, Shana Gaviola, 38, formerly of Clovis, was found guilty of interstate
violation of a protection order for causing her estranged teenage son to be taken against his will and transported from California to Missouri, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
Image by Ray Shrewsberry • Ray_Shrewsberry from Pixabay
“Shana Gaviola paid individuals to kidnap her then-16-year-old son from an ice-skating rink in Fresno, California, drive him in handcuffs to Missouri, and forcibly restrain him there for a week—all in express violation of a state-court domestic violence restraining order and ostensibly in the exercise of Gaviola’s religious beliefs,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “No parent—indeed, no person whatsoever—has the right to subject a child to kidnapping and terror for that reason or any other reason. This office will continue to vigorously prosecute anyone who violates the basic rights and safety of minors in our district, especially in violation of lawful court orders.”…