In a story that feels more like a crime drama than real life, a Michigan truck driver named Cody Bellamy is desperately begging his former partner, Melissa Fireside, to return their nine-year-old son, Benicio.
Fireside, once a rising Democrat politician in Oregon, is now a fugitive on the run — accused of fraud and wanted by authorities after vanishing overseas.
A Sudden Disappearance and a Shocking Escape
Fireside’s disappearance wasn’t a quiet one.
Without warning, she allegedly removed Benicio from school in Lexington, Oregon, and disappeared from the home address she’d listed as part of her bail terms.
Soon after, investigators discovered she had crossed the southern border into Mexico before boarding a flight to Amsterdam using an Austrian passport — a move that shocked even those who knew her best.
Her escape came just weeks before she was scheduled to face trial for allegedly stealing $30,000 from her late mother’s boyfriend, a vulnerable man living in a senior care facility.
The Ex Who Knew Too Much
For Cody Bellamy, none of this was entirely surprising.
Speaking to Daily Mail, the 44-year-old trucker described Fireside as “a user” with “a lot of secrets.”
He fears he may never see his son again, admitting, “I feel like I’ve been bereaved.”
Though Bellamy insists Fireside was always a loving mother, he worries that the stress of being hunted could make her unpredictable.
“Pressure can make people do crazy things,” he said.
From Online Romance to Heartbreak
Bellamy met Fireside in 2014 through an online dating site.
Despite their political differences — he’s a proud MAGA Republican while she’s a passionate Democrat who supported President Joe Biden — their relationship blossomed quickly.
Two years later, they welcomed their son, Benicio, through a home birth.
But the happiness was short-lived. Just six months after the baby arrived, Fireside abruptly ended the relationship.
“She woke up one day and said she didn’t want to be with me anymore,” Bellamy recalled.
“I was blindsided.”
A Relationship Built on Unequal Ground
Reflecting on their time together, Bellamy now believes Fireside may have used him simply to have a child.
“I almost feel like she wanted me as a surrogate,” he said.
“She saw that I was stable, hardworking, and financially secure — someone who would never abandon his child.”
When they met, Bellamy said Fireside was broke and struggling with poor credit.
Over time, she used his financial stability to build her lifestyle — including purchasing a $900,000 home in Lake Oswego, one of Oregon’s most exclusive areas.
The Fall of a Public Figure
After years of personal and financial maneuvering, Fireside’s career took a dramatic turn.
She was elected Clackamas County Commissioner in late 2024, representing one of Oregon’s wealthiest districts.
But within just two months, her political success came crashing down when she was arrested for fraud in March 2025.
Investigators accused her of taking out loans and credit cards in the name of her late mother’s elderly boyfriend, Arthur Petrone, without his consent.
His daughter later said he was “far too vulnerable” to have made such decisions.
A Custody War That Never Ended
Bellamy’s relationship with Fireside became even more bitter after their split.
He claimed she made parenting difficult, setting strict rules for their son — banning sugar, rejecting his love of the outdoors, and insisting on a French-speaking private school.
When he tried to take Benicio hunting or share small treats, she reportedly retaliated by seeking full custody and filing a restraining order based on what Bellamy calls fabricated claims.
He spent $18,000 in legal fees fighting for joint custody but ultimately lost.
By 2023, broken and exhausted, Bellamy left Oregon for Michigan to rebuild his life.
Paying for a Son He Can’t See
Despite the turmoil, Bellamy continued to pay child support and remained devoted to his son.
Even now — with Fireside and Benicio believed to be hiding somewhere in Europe — Oregon’s social services have ordered him to keep making payments.
He does so willingly, hoping it keeps him connected to Benicio somehow.
What puzzles him most is how Fireside managed to get an Austrian passport.
She was adopted and later disowned by her adoptive family, leaving him unsure where she could have obtained dual citizenship.
That passport now gives her the freedom to live anywhere within the European Union.
A Mother on the Run, a Father in Pain
Bellamy can’t accuse Fireside of abduction because she technically has full custody — a cruel twist in his fight to see his child again.
Still, he fears she may disappear entirely, perhaps even to the Middle East, to avoid extradition.
“I hope Melissa can put our son first,” he said through tears.
“I forgive her for everything, but please don’t make Benicio live his life on the run. Don’t take him away from his dad’s family forever.”
A Message Across the Miles
When asked what he’d say to his ex if she were reading, Bellamy didn’t hesitate.
“You’ve dug your own grave,” he said quietly.
“Don’t make our son a fugitive too. Let him grow up feeling loved, not hunted.”
Then his voice broke.
“And if I never see him again,” he said, “please make sure he grows up to be a good man.”