It was a golden day, the kind that feels magical from beginning to end. Jessica Hermantin, who lived with her mom, was about to turn 9. Her dad, Lazaro Lopez—whose schedule was unpredictable and hadn’t been around much lately—showed up to spend the entire day with her. He bought her a new movie on VHS tape; they cuddled as they watched Space Jam.

What Jessica didn’t know was that Lazaro had been on the run—and their special day together would be their last for a long time. The next day, Lazaro turned himself in to law enforcement, facing 41 separate charges for kidnappings, armed robberies, and aggravated assaults.

Jessica says for a long time, she didn't know her father was in prison. She was accustomed to not seeing him for stretches of time; they even spoke on the phone while he was incarcerated without her realizing where he was. But finally, the truth came out.