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Lawyer on Runaway Ohio Mom: No Charges, Will Pay Thousands

Lawyer: Tiffany Tehan and boyfriend to pay over $5,000 in restitution to county.

ByABC News via logo
April 20, 2010, 4:25 PM

April 29, 2010— -- The Ohio mother who set off a nationwide manhunt when she ran away with another man earlier this month will face no charges in Ohio, but she and the man will pay thousands in restitution to the county, an attorney for the woman told ABC News today.

"My clients have agreed to make full restitution for the investigation in whatever amount the prosecutor deemed appropriate," Jon Paul Rion, attorney for former missing mother Tiffany Tehan and boyfriend Tre Hutcherson, told ABC News today. "I think that they've always wanted to make this county as whole as possible."

While Rion would not disclose the exact amount that was settled on, he said it is greater than $5,000. The Green County prosecutor's office did not immediately return a request for comment on this report.

Tehan disappeared while she was supposedly shopping on Saturday, April 17, leaving behind her husband David and year-old daughter Lexie. The vanishing act triggered a cross-country search until police, acting on a tip from the FBI, found Tehan and a man identified as Tre Hutcherson staying at motel in Miami Beach, Florida. Police, who had been calling Hutcherson a person of interest in her disappearance, quickly determined that Tehan was not in danger.

Tehan was never arrested in Miami and, according to police at the time, did not appear to have committed a crime.

"She left voluntarily with this fellow and drove to Miami to -- and these are her words -- start a new life," Miami Beach police Sgt. Wayne Jones said after she was found.

According to family law attorney Michael Kretzmer, it doesn't appear any of Tehan's escapade was illegal.

"You have to say, 'What's the crime?'" Kretzmer told "Good Morning America" last week. "[There's] no question that deception was involved, but I think that's going to be something that law enforcement's going to have a tough time, really, proving there was a crime."

Capt. Scott Anger of Ohio's Xenia Police Division called the incident a "personal, family matter" shortly after Tehan was found.

Tehan said she was being "selfish" when she suddenly slipped away, but she assumed her husband and 1-year-old would be fine without her.

"What was going through my head was, 'She's 13 months old, she's got a wonderful father, wonderful grandparents, wonderful aunts and uncles who love her, and they'll take care of her.' But I won't deny it was totally selfish," Tehan told "Inside Edition."

"In hindsight, I wouldn't do this again and I need to make that clear. I regret it. But at the time I honestly thought no one would really miss me that much," Tehan said breaking into tears.

Tehan told "Inside Edition" she left town to start a new life with Hutcherson.

"I didn't want to do anything illegal," Tehan said. "The plan was to get in the car and head down to Florida and start a new life. We had plans to maybe start a business... But I truly thought, 'No one's going to miss me that much. Let's get in the car and go.'"

Deborah Norville, the host of "Inside Edition," said that is the saddest part of the story.

"She honestly didn't think it would matter to anyone if she just vanished out of her life. I think she felt overwhelmed with insignificance," Norville told "GMA."

Tehan thought about taking her daughter, Norville said, but didn't want to trigger an Amber alert.

"They were very careful, they didn't want to do anything illegal and there was a possibility of charges, they wanted to try to not involve law enforcement. They just wanted to get away," Norville said.

Tehan and Hutcherson returned to Ohio over the weekend and were spotted at Tehan's parent's home on Sunday, reported ABC News affiliate WKEF in Dayton, Ohio.

Tehan is staying with her parents "to figure out what the next chapter of her life is going to be" while her daughter remains with her father, Norville said.