Fla. woman who fled to avoid son's circumcision is arrested

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The attorney for a Florida woman who fled with her son to avoid his circumcision says she has been arrested.

Heather Hironimus went missing with the 4-year-old nearly three months ago to evade the surgery. A judge found her in contempt of court and ordered her arrest.

Her attorney, Thomas Hunker, said she was taken into custody Thursday, but had no further details. Her name did not yet appear in inmate databases and jail officials couldn’t be reached for comment.

Hironimus initially agreed to have her son circumcised but then changed her mind, leading to a long court fight with the boy’s father. Circuit and appellate judges have sided with the father.

The case has drawn protests and widespread attention from anti-circumcision advocates who deride the surgery as barbaric.