10:24 AM EDT on Thursday, June 29, 2006

Associated Press

BRAINTREE, Mass. (AP) -- A deadbeat dad who owes $250,000 in child support payments stretching back 15 years was arrested at his mother's wake after authorities were tipped by his ex-wife.

Stephen Burns, of Hampton, tried to flee the McMaster Funeral Home on Tuesday, but was stopped and handcuffed by a constable before he could escape.

The arrest created some tense moments as Burns' relatives yelled about the disruption of the wake. But Burns' former wife, Linda Manna of Braintree, said it was time for Burns to face his responsibilities.

"Of course I feel bad for his family," Manna told The Patriot Ledger of Quincy after she watched constables take Burns into custody. "I'm not heartless. But I have to do what I have to do. It's been 20 years. Enough is enough."

Burns has four children between the ages of 16 and 20 with Manna and Denise Naples of Canton, according to the state Department of Revenue. Burns owes a total of $250,000 in child support, penalties, and interest to the two. A warrant has been out for Burns' arrest since he skipped a 2001 court date.

Wednesday, a Norfolk Probate and Family Court judge ordered Burns jailed for six months, or until he comes up with $10,000 cash, according to Register of Probate Patrick McDermott.

Both Manna and Naples told The Boston Globe they don't expect Burns, who has four other children, to ever pay his child support.

"It's not just about the money," Manna said. "It's about the absence of a parent. ... It's about the years of heartache."

(Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)