Lady Lake

TAVARES, Fla.—The 5-year-old boy kidnapped by his grandmother has been recovered safe and has a history of violence in his family, according to police and public records.

Less than two hours after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement pushed an Amber Alert for Jace Saunders, his grandmother, Kelly DaSilva, showed up at Lady Lake Police Department with the boy, who was healthy and unharmed.

Tavares Police Department detectives responded to Lady Lake and took DaSilva, 50, into custody, TPD Public Information Officer Courtney Sullivan said. She was transported to Tavares Police Department for questioning and Jace was turned over to the Department of Children and Families. After questioning, DaSilva was arrested for kidnapping and interference with child custody and upon being taken to the Lake County Jail, staff found methamphetamine on DaSilva as she was being booked and she is facing additional charges of possession of methamphetamine and introduction of contraband into a detention facility. Her booking information and mugshot were not available at press time.

TPD and DCF responded to a home on Tara Drive Sunday afternoon to remove Jace from a relative’s custody. When they arrived, Jace was not at the home and was reportedly on a golf cart ride with a family friend, Mitchell Morris. The relative called Morris and asked him to return Jace, but instead he met DaSilva at a nearby park and gave Jace to her, Sullivan said.

Morris was arrested for interference of child custody; Jace’s parents, Taylor Judy, 27, and Brandon Saunders, 39, were also arrested for interference of child custody for failing to cooperate with law enforcement. Judy and Saunders were both “verbally hostile” and stated Jace would not be turned over to DCF, Sullivan said in a Monday morning press conference.

Sullivan said TPD is familiar with Jace’s family and there is a history of domestic issues. According to an arrest affidavit, in 2020, Saunders was arrested for battery by strangulation for choking Judy two separate times and wrestling her phone away from her during an argument as she tried to leave with Jace when he was just a baby. Judy explained to Sullivan, who was the arresting officer in that case, Saunders had battered her on three separate occasions prior to that day. Those charges were reduced to a battery charge and Saunders pleaded no contest. He was sentenced to probation.

In 2022, Saunders was arrested twice, once in March and again in May, after being accused of battering Judy on both occasions. In the March case, Saunders pleaded no contest again and was again sentenced to probation. The charges in the May case were transferred to misdemeanor court, he pleaded no contest and was sentenced to 75 days in jail. In July 2023, he was arrested again for battering Judy and his bond was revoked. While he was in jail, he violated a no victim contact order using his own account and the accounts of other inmates to call Judy 303 times. He was arrested for 15 counts of violating pre-trial conditions and four counts of tampering with a witness. The tampering charges were dropped, and he pleaded no contest to all 15 counts of violating pre-trial and conditions and was sentenced to 364 days in jail with credit for 163 days, time served. He was released in May 2024.

This is the second familial kidnapping in Lake County this year; Dixie Williams is accused of kidnapping her two daughters, Tilli and Natalia from a Sorrento foster home Jan. 25. Williams was captured in Louisiana just a day later, and the girls were recovered safe. Williams’ case is still open and last week her attorney, Assistant Public Defender Mona Payne filed a motion for a court-appointed psychological evaluation.