Nathaniel Fons, the three-year-old who was abandoned at St. Patrick's Cathedral on Tuesday afternoon, saw his paternal grandparents yesterday. However, he will remain in the custody of the city's Administration for Children's Services as the authorities continue to investigate his situation, which includes two jailed parents. A source told the Daily News, "There are all of these moving parts to unravel."
Fons' mother Erin Comeau had been arrested for using a counterfeit $100 bill in Florida, leaving Nathaniel to her friends' care. It's believed that Eleanor Black and William Scott drove to New York (the couple once lived in Brooklyn) and that Black dumped him at the church. Nathaniel approached a guard, saying, "Hi, my name is Nate," with a note in his pocket that had the number of a Florida detective and the words "Call immediately."
The NYPD is looking for Black and Scott, who are also suspected of being part of the counterfeiting ring. Black's father, "serving time for violating parole after spending most of his life in prison for the 1968 murder of an NYPD cop," told the Post, "She should just surrender and tell them that she made a mistake."
Before Don and Frieda Fons saw their grandson, Frieda Fons told the News, "We are very excited. We are hoping to come out with Nate." But an ACS spokeswoman said, "He will remain safely in the city's care for the time being. We have the responsibility of carefully assessing the safest placement for Nathaniel, and that may take some time." The Fonses' son Bill is in jail for violating his parole when he failed to register as a sex offender.
