Guillaume Garreau, a 40-year-old French-American tech worker, began a hunger strike outside the prosecutor's office in Almaty to demand action to find his 4-year-old autistic son, Maximilien, whom he says was taken to Kazakhstan by his ex-wife. Garreau alleges the mother wired $220,000 abroad before leaving and that a San Francisco judge had allowed the travel despite prior abuse findings. A felony kidnapping warrant was issued on March 30, 2024, and Garreau says Kazakh courts ordered the child's return effective February 2025, though that order has not been enforced. He has spent more than $250,000 pursuing legal and investigative avenues and warns delays endanger his son's well-being.
California Father Begins Hunger Strike in Almaty to Pressure Authorities to Find Son Allegedly Taken to Kazakhstan
Guillaume Garreau, a 40-year-old French-American tech worker, began a hunger strike outside the prosecutor's office in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Monday to press officials to locate his 4-year-old autistic son, Maximilien, whom he says was taken there by his ex-wife.
Guillaume Garreau launched a hunger strike in hopes of reuniting with his autistic son, Maxmilien, whom he claims was kidnapped by his ex-wife. Courtesy Guillaume Garreau
Background
Garreau and his son are pictured in November 2023. Courtesy Guillaume Garreau
Garreau told the California Post that he set up the protest as a last-ditch effort to compel local authorities to enforce court orders and produce information about his son's whereabouts. "I am doing this not because I want to, but because I am a parent who has been left with no other way to make the authorities hear that my child is still missing and that every day without action is another day of suffering for me and for him," he wrote in an email.
Maxmilien poses at a San Francisco playground. Courtesy Guillaume Garreau
The father says the case has been a harrowing, 28-month saga. He alleges that his ex-wife, Sana Onayeva-Garreau, took Maximilien to Kazakhstan after wiring $220,000 to a relative there. Garreau also says a San Francisco judge permitted Onayeva to travel with the boy despite earlier family-court findings of abusive behavior and objections from Garreau's lawyers.
Garreau takes a selfie with his young son. Courtesy Guillaume Garreau
Legal And Investigative Efforts
Judge Michelle Tong allowed Sona Onayeva to travel with 4-year-old Maximilien despite red flags, the dad says. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Records from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children show that a felony kidnapping warrant for Sana Onayeva-Garreau was issued on March 30, 2024. Garreau says he has spent more than $250,000 pursuing legal and investigative avenues in the United States, France and Kazakhstan to locate his son.
Sana Onayeva-Garreau with Maximilien. Facebook/Sana Onayeva-Garreau
Garreau reports that Kazakh authorities located the mother and child during an intervention last month, but that Maximilien experienced an "acute distress episode" that required medical attention. According to Garreau, both mother and child then disappeared again. He also says Kazakh courts have recognized the abduction and issued an order for Maximilien's return to California effective February 2025, but that the order has not been enforced.
A felony kidnapping warrant was issued in 2024 for Sana Onayeva-Garreau. Facebook/Sana Onayeva-Garreau
Garreau's Concerns
The boy and his mother are believed to be in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Getty Images
"The central issue is immediate: if authorities know where the child is, why has there been no swift, transparent action to secure his safety and enforce the law? This is no longer just a custody dispute. It is a case raising urgent questions about child welfare, law enforcement credibility, and possible obstruction of a lawful process," Garreau said.
Garreau plans to remain outside the prosecutor's office until he receives answers about his son's whereabouts and sees tangible action to reunite them. He warns that every day of delay heightens the risk to Maximilien’s physical and psychological well-being, given the child's autism and the reported distress he has already experienced.
Sana Onayeva-Garreau and her son, Maxmilien, seen in surveillance footage. Courtesy Guillaume Garreau
Photos And Public Response
Guillaume Garreau has spent more than $250,000 trying to reunite with his son. Courtesy Guillaume Garreau
Photos shared by Garreau show moments with his son at a San Francisco playground and other personal images accompanying his public appeals. The case has drawn attention in U.S. media and from advocacy groups focused on missing children and international custody disputes.
Note: This article reports allegations made by Garreau and public records related to the case. Some details, including court findings and the current enforcement status of foreign orders, remain subject to confirmation by the relevant authorities.
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