(JTA) — A Florida woman is in jail after fleeing with her 4-year-old son to keep him from being circumcised.
Heather Hironimus, 31, of Boynton Beach was arrested last week after going into hiding with her son Chase three months ago rather than give her consent and turn the boy over for the surgery.
Hironimus and the boy’s father, Dennis Nebus of Boca Raton, had agreed to the circumcision three years ago as part of their separation deal. Hironimus backed out of the surgery and Nebus took her to court. In May, an appeals court in Florida upheld lower court rulings in favor of Nebus and the circumcision. The couple, neither of whom is Jewish, were never married.
On Monday, a U.S. District Court judge received assurances from Nebus’ attorney that the judge will receive 10 days notice prior to the procedure. Chase is in the custody of his father in an undisclosed location.
The judge, Kenneth Marra, made no ruling on an emergency request by Hironimus to put a temporary restraining order on the procedure.
Nebus has called circumcision “just the normal thing to do.”
An arrest warrant for Hironimus was issued in March after Hironimus failed to show up to hand the boy over to his father as required in the couple’s custody-sharing agreement.
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