Modesto father accused of abducting son makes first court appearance

A Modesto father accused of forcibly taking his 6-year-old son from the boy’s mother made his first court appearance Thursday afternoon in Stanislaus Superior Court.

Prosecutors have formally charged John Christopher Cosso, 41, with kidnapping and burglary in connection with the abduction of his son, Jayce Cosso.

The boy’s mother, Kimberly Valente, has said Cosso and two other men ripped her son from her arms Monday morning and took him from her north Modesto home. A search for the suspects and the boy, which included an Amber Alert, ended about 24 hours later when authorities found the boy with his dad at a Dublin motel.

Cosso also is charged with permitting a child to suffer under circumstances likely to cause great bodily injury, battery on a spouse and vandalism stemming from a damaged vehicle window, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday morning by the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office.

The defendant entered the courtroom wearing an orange-and-white jail inmate jumpsuit and chained shackles on his wrists and ankles. He only spoke when Judge Ricardo Córdova asked him whether he could afford to hire his own attorney.

“I don’t know yet. I have to talk to some people,” Cosso told the judge. “I haven’t been able to use the phone much.”

Córdova appointed the county Public Defender’s Office to represent Cosso.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges. His bail has been set at $300,000.

Deputy Public Defender Shaun Wahid, who appeared in court with Cosso, asked the judge to schedule a bail review hearing. The defense attorney could ask for a reduced bail amount, or the prosecutor could seek to increase his bail.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Annette Rees did not object to the bail review hearing, but she asked the court for a restraining order and electronic monitoring if Cosso posts bail. She said Valente still is very frightened of Cosso.

“She’s concerned he will make bail, terrorize her family and take her son again,” Rees told the judge.

Over the defense attorney’s objection, the judge ordered authorities to track Cosso with a GPS device if he’s released on bail. Córdova also ordered Cosso to stay 100 yards away from Valente, and her relatives who live at her home, including Jayce. The judge said the defendant cannot try to communicate with them in person or electronically.

The judge scheduled Cosso to return to court Wednesday for the bail review hearing. Cosso Thursday afternoon remained in custody at the Stanislaus County Jail.

The abduction occurred about 7:30 a.m. Monday at Valente’s home on Poinsettia Drive, northeast of Standiford Avenue and Tully Road.

Authorities have said Cosso was accompanied by five other people, including his teenage son, when he went to the home of Kimberly Valente. The suspects broke through the door of the home, assaulted family members and took off with Jayce, according to Valente’s sisters.

Authorities in Stanislaus County spent Monday asking for the public’s help in finding the boy and his father, while Modesto police continued its investigation and followed up on information gathered by detectives. On Monday afternoon, the Amber Alert was issued in Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Alameda and Santa Clara counties.

At 8 a.m. Tuesday, Alameda County sheriff’s deputies apprehended Cosso and his 17-year old son, Dominic Cosso, as they left the motel on Dublin Boulevard, according to Modesto police.

Investigators had been watching the motel throughout the night and waited for the suspects to walk out before arresting them.

Modesto police officials have said Dominic Cosso was booked at the Stanislaus County Juvenile Hall. It’s unclear the status of the teenage boy’s case. Authorities do not release information about criminal cases in juvenile court.

Dominic’s case was discussed during his father’s arraignment hearing Thursday, but the judge and defense attorneys did not use his name. Córdova mentioned the other defendant in this case while trying to determine which law firm will be appointed to represent Cosso.

From the discussion, it appeared that Dominic made his first appearance in juvenile court Thursday morning. A Modesto law firm was appointed to represent him. It’s unclear whether he entered a plea Thursday.

Only John Cosso is listed as a defendant in his criminal complaint. The investigation continues as Modesto police detectives conduct interviews to identify and find the other suspects involved in the abduction.

This story was originally published September 27, 2018 at 3:27 PM.