CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- The boyfriend of Zulma Pabon, missing since June 2014, was arrested, Chesterfield Police confirmed. Dr. John Gibbs, who is the father of a child with Pabon, was arrested on charges of felony child neglect. Dr. Gibbs is being investigated for neglecting his five-year-old son, police said.
Dr. Gibbs was taken out of the hospital Thursday in handcuffs, a witness said. There was no indication the charges are related to Pabon's disappearance. Gibbs is being held without bond in Chesterfield. A judge will rule Monday whether to grant or deny bond.
Gibbs is accused of leaving his five-year-old son unattended on two occasions; once in January and the other in February. The first incident the boy was found alone near his residence complex pool and police were called.
Gibbs older son, who is 15 and described as extremely autistic, was supposed to be watching the younger brother. The next incident the youngest son was left at home alone while Gibbs attended a parent-teacher conference.
Gibbs has since sent the five year old to stay with a family member in North Carolina. The prosecution wants bailed denied because she considers Gibbs a flight risk with no ties to the community aside from his job.
The judge has asked the temporary guardian to appear in court on Monday and to have the child at court being watched by another family member or CPS.
Zulma Pabon
Pabon, described as a Hispanic female, is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs about 145 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. She was last seen Friday, June 6, 2014, when she left work at St. Francis Medical Center, where she was a nurse. Co-workers reported Pabon missing when she failed to show up for work on Monday, June 9. Her boyfriend Gibbs did not report her missing.
Pabon's Nissan was located about 10 days after her disappearance, in the Greenleigh Mobile Home Park off Jeff Davis Highway, some 16 miles from Pabon's Midlothian home on Terrace Arbor Circle.
Surveillance showed a wrecker picking up the car
Surveillance cameras captured images of a white, newer-model four-door truck towing a white, four-door vehicle on Commonwealth Center Parkway at about 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, June 7. Police asked the driver of that truck to contact them immediately, but never released any information about it.
Gibbs was seen returning to their Terrace Arbor Circle home about 6:39 a.m. the morning of Saturday, June 7, according to police. He was alone. Pabon's white 2009 Nissan Altima was seen leaving the home the couple shared about 15 minutes before Gibbs was captured on a neighbor's security camera returning to the house.
Saturday, June 7, 2014 at 6:13pm 5400 Block Commonwealth Centre PKWY
Pabon's sister previously said that there was no way Pabon would leave without taking her son. Chesterfield Police said there was no history of domestic violence calls at the address, nor any indication Pabon had ever disappeared before.
Police have also previously said that Gibbs did not cooperate with the investigation, detectives said. They added that was his Constitutional right.
Below is a timeline of events surrounding this case. For all background stories and updates, click here.
