Help Bring Gabriel Home.

My name is Mark Coomes and my wife, Tanya, and I have a dear friend, Roberto Mendiola ("Beto"), whose son, Gabriel, was abducted last year by the mother. GoFundMe operates in 20 countries; however, Peru is not one of these countries, hence our desire to set up this page to help Beto. Here is Beto’s request:

“Following the guidelines of the Hague Convention, I have an important court hearing on September 5, 2025, to determine if my son, Gabriel, will return home to me. He was abducted by his mother last year, and all communications with my son have been cut off by the mother. The Family Court in Lima gave me sole custody of my son earlier this year, yet Gabriel’s mother has not conceded to the court, hence me being in this current situation. My legal fees in both the US and Peru have exceeded $35k and are climbing. I am hopeful you will consider a donation of any size to help my son return home. From the bottom of my heart, and Gabriel’s, thank you for considering this request!

Below you can learn more about our story. May God bless you for your kindness!

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My girlfriend and I had a monogamous dating relationship that resulted in the birth of Gabriel six years ago. That relationship ended one year after Gabriel's birth, and two years later, the mother relinquished any custody of Gabriel to me and moved to the US from Peru. Accordingly, I exercised sole custody of Gabriel, allowing the mother to visit Gabriel whenever she was present in Peru.

On or about July 18, 2024, the mother asked to spend time with Gabriel in Lima, Peru, and claimed she would be traveling only within Peru for a vacation with Gabriel. Two weeks later, all communications with Gabriel were cut off to me by the mother, and according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the mother and Gabriel entered the United States on August 6, 2024. Nine days later, the mother contacted me electronically to let me know she would not be returning Gabriel to me.

A year prior, the mother filed a petition with the Superior Court of Justice of Lima, Sixth Specialized Family Court of Lima, to have sole possession of Gabriel. In October of 2024, both I and the mother provided evidence to the Family Court of our rationale for sole custody of Gabriel. On March 13, 2025, the Lima Family Court denied the mother's request, and sole custody of Gabriel remained with me.

Gabriel resided in Lima, Peru, from birth until his wrongful abduction. Gabriel attended school in Lima, went to daycare and schooling in Lima, has extended family in Lima, has doctors in Lima, and lived his life entirely in Lima, Peru, until his wrongful abduction.

Since August 2024, I have had no contact with Gabriel, and the mother has denied all telephone, video conferencing, or other forms of contact between me and my son.

Both the United States and Peru are “Contracting States” in the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. It is via this Convention that the mother and I have a hearing on September 5, 2025, during which I am requesting Gabriel be returned to Peru. This hearing is so very important for Gabriel; ICARA and the Hague Convention authorize federal district courts to determine the merits of claims for the wrongful removal or retention of a child.

I have obtained legal counsel in both Peru and the US, including the Myres Law Firm in Houston, TX; Aaron Echman in Odessa, TX; and Amy Cores in NJ. My bills continue to mount in both the US and Peru as this Sep 5 hearing and an impending custody case in Lima evolve.

ALL DONATIONS AND OFFERINGS, minus GoFundMe's fees, will be 100% sent to the US and Peruvian law firms. If anything remains thereafter, the balance will help cover my nearly $5k in costs for transportation and other fees related to this terrible situation.

Thank you for making time to read this and to consider donating toward Gabriel's return. Please also consider sharing this need with others whom you may find willing to help. And please, keep Gabriel in prayer, along with me and the mother who both need God's guidance.”