We have some very startling news to report for fans of Love After Lockup. Tito Santana, the fan-favorite ex of show star Brittany Santiago, is saying that Brittany kidnapped their four-year-old son Giovanni late last week, and he doesn’t know where they are.

TITO’S FACEBOOK POST

Tito made the announcement on Facebook just after midnight (MST) Friday morning. “My son was kidnapped from me three days ago by my ex,” he wrote. “I went out of my way so that she could still see her son, while she was in jail, prison, and slamming herself with every dope she could find…and for that, this is what I get?”

Tito ended his post with extreme frustration. “A word of advice…f**k the world, nice motherf**kers end up like this. Alone, devastated, crushed. I miss my son.”

Tito’s post inspired a lot of concerned comments, and he responded to a number of questions and concerns. One commenter asked if he knew where Brittany and Giovanni are. “I don’t know their location,” Tito revealed. “She moved on me in the last 2 days.”

Someone asked eight hours after his post if Tito had any additional news. “No, not yet…so nervous,” Tito replied, “feel like throwing up.”

TITO RESPONDS TO QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT HIS SON

Here are some interactions with Tito in which he further expresses his frustration and his love for his son. He also says that he suspects Brittany taking Giovanni may have been “pushed on by” Marcelino:

COMMENT: That shows what kind of person she is right there! All I know is what I saw from the show. Thank goodness he had you when she went to jail. This should backfire on her I would think. To up and take your son away from the only home he’s ever known. The way I understood it is he’s been with you since he was a baby. She is very selfish for doing that. I’m so sorry. I couldn’t imagine. I’m praying for you.

TITO: Thank you so much for your understanding words. Yes, he has been with me since he was a baby. All of this is really really difficult, especially considering the fact that I have always gone out of my way to facilitate her visits with her son. But I guess not everyone thinks the same.

COMMENT: It seemed to me you did everything possible for her to see him. It’s so selfish on her part, and with her having a new baby they take up a lot of time. Which you know that. When you get him back (cuz I know you will) I hope she has to have supervised visits. Clearly she cannot [be] trusted. I’m in recovery myself and for her to claim to be clean and still having old behavior is a recipe for disaster like kidnapping him. I’m so sorry you’re going through this

TITO: I completely agree with you. To be honest with you, one of the main reasons why I wanted [Giovanni] to spend time with her was because I knew, or at least I felt, that his presence would definitely help her with sobriety. Sometimes you just got to hang back and let adults make [their] own decisions I guess.

COMMENT: You’re exactly right. I feel like that was a selfless act on your part…you put your feelings aside and dealt with things like an adult and all she did was burn you. I always like Brittany on the show, but I wished she would get her sh*t straight for your son’s sake. And [Marcelino]. However you spell his name. Idk if I like him. I know she’s grown and an adult, but that being her husband he should have stepped in and stopped it. He’s condoning all her bs.

TITO: To be honest with you, I know that she is a grown woman and makes her own decisions, but I have a feeling that a lot of these actions that she’s doing now are pushed on by him.

COMMENT: I can totally see that. He seems to me he was very controlling on the show. I just got a bad vibe from him. I know it’s all edited and stuff but still.

COMMENT: I wish you the best trying to get custody of him. I don’t think you’ll have a problem after this stunt she pulled I really don’t.

TITO: Yeah he’s definitely for lack of better words awesome LOL

While writing this post, Tito was asked again if he had any updates. “No,” was his simple response.

We reached out to Brittany, but we were told that she is unable to comment at this time.

UPDATE – Marcelino did an Instagram live and said the kidnapping allegations are not true. Brittany has also shared multiple updates in response to Tito’s claims, assuring everyone that Giovanni is just fine. Click here for all the latest!

UPDATE – Both Tito and Brittany have filed for custody of Giovanni, and we have all the startling allegations made by both sides! Click here for detail’s from Tito’s filing, and here for details from Brittany’s.

BRITTANY PREVIOUSLY ARRESTED FOR KIDNAPPING

Amazingly, being accused of kidnapping is nothing new for Brittany. She faced a felony charge of kidnapping, along with attempted murder and more, when she was arrested in April of 2016. All of the felony charges except conspiracy to commit robbery were later dropped as Brittany accepted a plea deal that resulted in a sentence of 2-5 years in prison.

That case had nothing to do with Giovanni.

BRITTANY AND TITO’S CUSTODY AGREEMENT

Less than a month before Brittany’s arrest in 2016, Tito’s complaint for custody of Giovanni was signed by a judge. At the time, Brittany’s life was in disarray. From the filing:

There are concerns of [Brittany’s] usage of drugs; and becoming transient. Defendant had arguably been residing with her Grandmother; is now bouncing from one residence to another. [Tito] FURTHER NOTED, Defendant’s access with the child have been confined to irregular visits at restaurants, coffee shops, malls, and parks; with Plaintiff monitoring Defendant’s visits with the child.

Tito was granted primary custody. At the time, Brittany was only entitled to three-hour visits twice a week at a public facility. “There shall be no overnight visits afforded to the Defendant until proper petitions being submitted to this Court,” reads the filing.

Although it is not specific to Tito and Brittany’s case, here is the excerpt from the judgment addressing a scenario in which one parent takes Giovanni without the other’s consent:

PENALTY FOR VIOLATION OF ORDER: THE ABDUCTION, CONCEALMENT OR DETENTION OF A CHILD IN VIOLATION OF THIS ORDER IS PUNISHABLE AS A CATEGORY D FELONY AS PROVIDED IN NRS 193.130. NRS 200359 provides that every person having a limited right of custody to a child or any parent having no right of custody to the child who willfully detains, conceals or removes the child from a parent, guardian or other person having lawful custody or a right of visitation of the child in violation of an order of this court, or removes the child from the jurisdiction of the court without the consent of either the court or all persons who have the right to custody or visitation is subject to being punished for a category D felony as provided in NRS 193.130.

TITO ON LOVE AFTER LOCKUP

Tito, who was convicted of felony drug trafficking in 2001, appeared on Love After Lockup and won viewers over by seeming to be a very caring father who was more than willing to allow Brittany to have time with their son. He was also receptive to Marcelino. “Look, exes or whatever, people that are co-parenting, are still resentful because of this or that situation,” Tito explained when he first met Marcelino. “It’s like, dude, the kid had nothing to do with that.”

Tito later talked directly to the camera reflecting on the scene: “Marcelino, I get it. I’ve dated a woman with children…so you have to meet the ex, you know? So, I’ve been there. I’ll just try to be as accommodating as possible, and I hope he doesn’t have a chip on his shoulder. There’s no need for hostility. My main concern is my son.”

Here is a clip:

We will continue to monitor the situation and update if there are any major developments.

Asa Hawks is a writer and editor for Starcasm. You can contact Asa via Twitter, Facebook, or email at starcasmtips(at)yahoo.com