CHULA VISTA, Calif. – The husband of missing Chula Vista mother Maya Millete insists that he poses no threat as documents unsealed Monday shed new light into the investigation into his wife’s disappearance.
Police have not named a suspect in Millete’s disappearance, but the new unredacted gun violence restraining order reveals that her husband Larry Millete is considered a person of interest. Maya, who also goes by May, went missing from the family’s home in January, leaving behind her car, cellphone and wallet as well as increasingly more questions about her whereabouts.
The restraining order, which prohibits an individual from possessing or buying guns, was issued in May before Chula Vista police searched the Millete family home for a second time as part of its investigation.
In the order, investigators showcase photos of 16 guns, including two illegal assault weapons, three pump shotguns, a rifle with a scope and five handguns, laid out on a table at Millete’s home. They also reveal a blacked-out space on top of the table which investigators describe in the report as Larry’s 4-year-old son who was standing next to the guns.
The report states the three minors in the house “had the combination and access to the safe where the firearms were stored.”
It also reveals why investigators wanted the report sealed in the first place, writing: “There are concerns that upon learning of the GVRO, respondent may flee the state or country with this three young minor children or respondent will likely shoot it out with police due to photographs showing several unregistered and/or illegal assault rifles with numerous ammunitions on the table in Respondent’s house.”
Asked about the order being unsealed, Maya’s sister Maricris Drouaillet told FOX 5 that she was unclear about the depth of the decision, but that they’re focused on keeping the children from harm’s way.
Drouaillet and her husband Richard have searched for Maya throughout San Diego County and elsewhere nearly every weekend since she’s been away. Larry Millete does not appear to have attended any of the searches, but argued in a nearly 80-page court filing in June that his wife’s family and their attorney had been “uttering statements implying and highly suggesting to the public and the media that I am to be blamed for her six-month long disappearance.”
“I am not responsible for her disappearance and I have fully cooperated with the police investigation,” Larry Millete wrote in the June filing.
Drouaillet told FOX 5 that she and her husband have lost regular contact with the Millete children. Maya’s parents also have been unable to see the kids, according to the family, and they have been trying for several months to go through the courts to change that.
Documents filed last week show that a child custody meeting is scheduled for Aug. 3.
Through it all, Drouaillet said Monday she is glad the identities of the children have remained private.
“We want to make sure our main priority is making sure the kids are safe,” she said.
As of July 14, Chula Vista police had interviewed 70 people about Maya’s disappearance. Fifty-two search warrants have been written in the case, including three at the Millete family home and one at the home of Millete relatives. The gun violence restraining order was served to Larry Millete on May 7.
“Investigators continue to review multiple items of evidence and are going over thousands of pages of data in the hopes of finding May,” police said in the latest of its bi-weekly updates on the case.
In a pair of text messages to FOX 5 on Monday night, Larry Millete responded to the newly released documents. In the messages, he said the following:
I pose no threat. I am a law abiding American citizen who believe(s) in our 2nd amendment rights. My rights have been violated numerous times. The photo was from 2020 when I was taking inventory as most people do. The photos were taken from my laptop not my phone during the first search, illegally seized when they did not have a warrant for my electronic devices. My children are always safe, happy and healthy despite the situation. I am finding out how questionable the justice system can be and how it can easily be manipulated by authorities in order to violate your rights. GVRO created as a witch-hunt towards gun owners to disarm anyone even by hearsay by anyone who may not like you. Warrant less warrants created to violate our 4th amendment rights which enable authorities to invade your privacy and ransack our homes. Absolutely disappointing that this happens in our country. Despite all I have endured I still believe we live in the best country on earth. Very respectfully, Larry Millete.
Also none of my firearms are unregistered or illegal. All registered and serialized. I recently found out that they are able to hold vehicles indefinitely. They have taken all our electronics affecting my children’s education. They have taken my firearms, thousand of rounds of ammunition and gun parts without providing me with a detailed inventory on all the searches. The lists were all hand written and vague. They basically want me disarmed with no way of defending myself or my family. Again a basic American right.
Larry Millete, texts to FOX 5 on July 26, 2021
