Man wanted for hiding his daughter flees from Utah County police
Jan 14, 2025, 4:37 PM | Updated: 4:38 pm

The scene of the police pursuit involving Utah County Sheriff deputies on Monday. (KSL TV)
(KSL TV)
OREM — A Utah man who is suspected of kidnapping his youngest daughter from California fled from police Monday afternoon.
Elijah Nehemiah Madden, 40, was booked into the Utah County Jail on suspicion of failing to stop at the command of police and parental kidnapping, each third-degree felonies, and class-B misdemeanor charges of possession of a controlled substance and use or possession of drug paraphernalia, according to the police affidavit.
The Utah County Fugitive Investigation deputies found Madden inside his car in an Orem parking lot. Court documents stated that Madden had arrest warrants for retaliating against a judge and parental kidnapping.
According to the affidavit, deputies attempted to contact Madden while he was inside his car, but he drove away before deputies could arrest him.
Deputies followed Madden until he entered southbound lanes on Interstate 15 through the University Parkway on-ramp. Police attempted to stop him, but he fled, prompting them to pursue him.
“The pursuit continued until deputies were able to execute a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) maneuver on Lincoln Beach Road, successfully burning Madden’s vehicle to a stop,” the affidavit stated. “Madden was taken into custody without further incident.”
According to the affidavit, Madden has been concealing his 16-year-old daughter inside his Utah County home. Police found recent photos and videos posted on Madden’s social media of the teenager calling her by name.
After arresting Madden, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on his home since Madden was recently ordered by a California court to surrender his firearms, ammunition and body armor.
The teen is a reported runaway from California. The affidavit did not say if the 16-year-old was found.
According to the affidavit, deputies found marijuana, “various drug paraphernalia items … green-tipped ammunition, shotgun shells, an AR-15 magazine, (and) several long-edged fixed-blade knives.”
Madden is a restricted person due to previous felony charges in California and is not allowed to own the found items.
Suspected kidnapping in 2023
In October 2023, Madden was suspected of kidnapping his then-17-year-old daughter and then-15-year-old daughter from their mother’s home in California. Court documents stated that the mother had sole physical custody of the teens and limited one supervised visit per week with Madden and his children.
During that time, Madden text the youngest daughter, “I will… make a home for us again. It is simply a matter of you coming to live with me,” according to court documents.
Utah County Sheriff’s deputies had been trying to contact Madden since Nov. 9, 2023, and located him during a traffic stop on Nov. 17. He was found with a loaded firearm, a THC pen and a THC cartridge.
Court documents stated they found the 17-year-old inside his Utah County home. Deputies also found “two handguns, an AR-15 style rifle, edged weapons, and ammo and magazines, as well as marijuana paraphernalia.”
During the arrest, the 15-year-old was still missing. Court documents did not state if she was ever found.
Madden was charged with second-degree felony parental kidnapping removing a child from the state, third-degree felony charges of possessing a firearm by a restricted person and endangerment of a child, and a class-B misdemeanor of possession of a controlled substance, marijuana.
He pleaded not guilty to all the charges on April 23, 2024, and the case is ongoing.
Threatening a Utah judge
In August 2024, Madden submitted a motion for the 2023 case entitled “Motion for Removal of Judge for reason of TREASON,” according to court documents.
In the motion, Madden said the judge presiding his case failed to honor the office of office and was ” subject to the capital felony treason.”
“Upon conviction you will be by taken by posse to the nearest busy intersection and hung at high noon, hung by the neck until dead,” Madden said in the motion. “The body to remain in state till dusk as an example to any who take his ‘oath of office’ lightly…”
On Oct. 1, 2024, an arrest warrant was issued for Madden for a threat against a judge, a third-degree felony.