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Amber Alert: Joshua and Sharyn Hakken,flee on boat after kidnapping their children,4/3/2013

Amber Alert: Joshua and Sharyn Hakken, busted for weapons and drugs, flee on boat after kidnapping their children

The pair spoke earlier with cops of ‘completing their ultimate journey,’ after being found with weapons and drug paraphernalia in Louisiana hotel room. They were last spotted on a 25-feet-long sailboat.
Comments (70)
By Michael Walsh / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Friday, April 5, 2013, 10:46 AM
Updated: Friday, April 5, 2013, 1:31 PM
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(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1308555.1365173075!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/hakken6n-3-web.jpg)
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Chase Hakken is also thought to be with his fleeing father.

(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1308556.1365173079!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/hakken6n-2-web.jpg)
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Cole Hakken is one of the children thought to be taken by his father.

(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1308557.1365173083!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/children-kidnapped-florida.jpg)
Authorities are searching for two young boys they believe were kidnapped by their father Joshua Hakken from their maternal grandparents' Florida home after their grandmother was tied up

(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1308554.1365173068!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/children-kidnapped-florida.jpg)
Sharyn Hakken is said to be with her husband and children.

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An anti-government gun-enthusiast tied up his mother-in-law and sped off with his sons just before the sun rose over Tampa, Fla. Wednesday, police said.

Now the law is on the lookout for Joshua Hakken and his wife Sharyn, both 34, who learned their parental rights were terminated Tuesday.

Authorities issued an Amber Alert as anxiety grows over the wellbeing of Chase, 2, and Cole, 4. Police learned Friday that the parents were last seen in a 25-feet-long sailboat a few hours after the kidnapping, reported ABC Action News.

(http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.1308701.1365182733!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_635/amberalert-0405.jpg)
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office
Joshua and Sharyn Hakken were seen sailing from John's Pass in a 25-foot boat hours after the Tampa abduction, police said.

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The children were taken from the Hakkens after police found the family with drug paraphilia and weapons in a Louisiana hotel room, where they spoke of "completing their ultimate journey" and taking "a journey to the Armageddon," according to police

more and vid @ link
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/amber-alert-joshua-sharyn-hakken-anti-government-couple-flee-kidnapping-kids-article-1.1308558

more imgs story @ links

Amber Alert: Joshua Hakken took sons Cole and Chase into Gulf of Mexico on sailboat, shortly after kidnapping

4:28 PM, Apr 5, 2013 | 0 comments
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The boat's description is as follows:
•1972 Morgan 25M (25 foot) sailboat
•Blue bimini top, white mainsail with blue trim, boat deck and cabin are white
•Hull is blue with "Salty" and a paw print in white on both sides with a white stripe near water line
•The stern has "St. Petersburg" in white lettering
•Florida Boat Registration #FL3717BK, HUL #M252099
•Possibly a yellow horseshoe life preserver on deck

(http://www.wtsp.com/images/300/169/2/assetpool/photogallery/308860/hakken-boat-2.jpg)
Amber Alert UPDATE: Hillsborough deputies say Joshua Hakken -- who abducted his two non-custodial children in Tampa -- was last seen taking his family into the Gulf of Mexico aboard this sailboat.

Grandmother tied up during abduction

Deputies say Joshua Hakken took his kids just one day after he and his wife lost custody.

"He entered the residence, where he tied up the grandmother and then removed the children," said Corporal Kevin Bodie, a case detective with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
http://www.wtsp.com/news/breaking/article/309305/20/Amber-Alert-Family-went-into-Gulf-on-sailboat

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_hillsborough/hillsborough-county-deputies-say-joshua-hakken-left-credit-cards-and-computer-prior-to-kidnapping

Hillsborough County deputies say Joshua Hakken left credit cards and computer prior to kidnapping
Posted: 10:35 PM
Last Updated: 2 hours and 45 minutes ago

TAMPA - A computer, credit cards, an Ethernet card, bank paperwork, a U.S. map and list of contacts are among the items Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies say they found when searching Joshua Hakken's Tampa home.
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The documents show Hauser provided law enforcement with oral and written statements that Joshua Hakken and her daughter Sharyn Hakken had previously planned suicide but Joshua realized "they have a way out."

Hauser also stated that when Joshua left her house Wednesday morning he stated, "phase one completed, ready for phase two."
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Two-page article

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130406/ARCHIVES/304061036/-1/search10?p=1&tc=pg

Father of missing boys recently bought sailboat
Published: Saturday, April 6, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, April 5, 2013 at 9:21 p.m.

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The boat's whereabouts are unknown. Had the family tried to sail in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday, they could have encountered storms along Florida's West Coast. Other storm bands moved through the Gulf on Friday.

The Hillsborough Sheriff's office has issued an arrest warrant for Joshua Hakken on charges of kidnapping and several other counts.

Joshua Hakken lost custody of his sons last year after a drug possession arrest in Louisiana, and he later tried to take them from a foster home at gunpoint, authorities have said. Officials also said that the children had been living with their maternal grandparents since last year, and that the Hakkens were informed Tuesday by a Louisiana court that they'd been stripped of their parental rights.

Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Col. Donna Lusczynski said that law enforcement in the Southeast and Southwest have put information about the kidnapping onto billboards.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/topstories/article/307663/483/Former-boat-owner-may-be-key-to-finding-Hakken

Former boat owner may be key to finding Hakken
5:45 PM, Apr 6, 2013

MADEIRA BEACH, Fla. - The search for Joshua Hakken, the father accused of kidnapping his sons Cole and Chase, centered on Madeira Beach on Friday.
Hillsborough County Sheriff's investigators believe he may be on the run in a 1972 Morgan sailboat named "Salty," which was recently purchased and docked behind a group of beach condos on 129th Ave E.

The former owner of the boat, Gaston Garces, told us by phone that he sold the boat to Hakken a few weeks back and his relationship with him goes deeper than just the sale, but would not elaborate on what that meant.

Garces withdrew from an interview with 10 News under advice from investigators who said his statements could hinder the search for the Hakken and the children.
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The focus of the search now appears focused on the boat as investigators try to figure out if he is sailing into the Gulf of Mexico or use the vessel as transportation to another getaway vehicle.

Hakken appears to be one step ahead of authorities in what is shaping up to be a well-orchestrated escape triggered when custody was officially handed over to the children's grandmother.

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/story/21899210/ambert-alert-for-hakken-kids-takes-to-the-water

Ambert Alert for Hakken kids takes to the water
Posted: Apr 06, 2013 5:49 PM CDT Updated: Apr 06, 2013 5:55 PM CDT

MADEIRA BEACH (FOX 13) - Authorities further expanded their search for two young boys Saturday who were kidnapped by their parents earlier in the week in a violent abduction.

Investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are asking boaters from Pensacola to the Keys – a span of roughly 800 miles - to keep an eye out for the boat the Hakken family is believed to be sailing.

"The search, especially for a vessel, is extremely difficult just for the fact that Florida has some of the largest coastlines in the United States," said FFWC Spokesman Baryl Martin. "The nooks and crannies that run up and down the coast of Florida are varied, so a lot of the general public get back in those areas more than we're able to."
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Amber Alert Issued for 4 Year Old Cole Hakken & 2 Year Old Chase Hakken Missing Since 4/3/13 in Tampa, FL. (Abducted by Bio Parents Joshua & Sharyn Hakken). Could they Be Aboard Sailboat?
http://scaredmonkeys.com/2013/04/06/amber-alert-re-issued-for-4-year-old-cole-hakken-2-year-old-chase-hakken-missing-since-4313-in-tampa-fl/

Florida Authorities Asking Recreational Boaters to Be on the Look Out for Missing/Kidnapped Brothers Chase & Cole Hakken … Seraching for Joshua Michael Hakken’s Newly Purchased Boat “”Salty” and a Paw Print in White on both Sides of Hull

http://scaredmonkeys.com/2013/04/07/florida-authorities-asking-recreational-boaters-to-be-on-the-look-out-for-missingkidnapped-brothers-chase-cole-hakken-seraching-for-joshua-michael-hakkens-newly-purchased-boat-salty-and/

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It is uncertain at this point whether 35 year old Joshua Michael Hakken, 34 year old Sharyn Hakken and the two brothers, Chase & Cole Hakken, are still aboard the sailboat or whether they might be back on land. An Amber Alert for the boys has been issued in Florida, Tennessee, Louisiana and other states.

Wow, they could almost be anywhere as this abduction seems to have been very well thought out. With as much preparation, one has to wonder whether they have another vehicle parked somewhere else? Or if they have docked, moored the boat in some hidden, secluded cove? Heck, they most likely have painted over the "Salty" and paw prints.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/crime/still-no-sign-of-kidnapped-hakken-boys/2113730

Still no sign of kidnapped Hakken boys
Sunday, April 7, 2013 7:16pm

TAMPA — Authorities spent another fruitless day Sunday searching for the man accused of kidnapping his two young sons and fleeing on a sailboat into the unpredictable waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
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Those familiar with the gulf and sailing said Hakken's sailboat, a 1972 Morgan with an outboard motor, is fully capable of a long voyage, though he faces some daunting challenges.

The boat has a blue hull, white mainsail and the word "Salty" painted on the back. Gaston Garces of Tampa listed the boat for sale at $3,200 and told WTSP-Ch. 10 he sold the boat to Hakken several weeks ago.

Garces on Sunday declined to comment further. "We did sell the boat to him," Garces said. "But right now, the detectives want to work things out" before he speaks to the media.

The advertisement for the boat was posted online a month ago. It said the vessel was "in very good solid condition" with a new bilge pump, a CD player, a CB radio and a 19-inch flat screen TV with DVD player.

"Extremely strong boat that could (go) anywhere from weekend beach trips with the family, to even taking a trip to the Bahamas with no problem," the ad said.

The ad also said it had a draft of less than 3 feet, "perfect for going to the beach in shallow areas."

Investigators have no doubt taken note of one other point mentioned in the ad — the boat's 15-horsepower outboard motor has a gas tank of just 6 gallons.

While an AMBER Alert continues in states bordering the gulf, investigators said they cannot assume Hakken is still at sail.
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http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/309856/250/Amber-Alert-Detectives-continue-to-follow-leads

Amber Alert: Detectives continue to follow leads on missing Hakken family
12:17 PM, Apr 8, 2013

TAMPA, Florida - Detectives with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said they received dozens of leads over the weekend in the search for Joshua Hakken and the boat he and his family are believed to be on. Investigators said they followed up on every lead and none of them panned out.

"The good news on that is we know people are now out looking. We know that this is a priority. Not only for us, but the public as well," said Det. Larry McKinnon, with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The Hakkens are believed to be on the boat "Salty" possibly somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico. Detectives released another picture showing the boat more clearly. They said they will also meet and review some of the information received through leads and other detective work.

Over the weekend multiple agencies, including the Coast Guard and Florida Fish and Wildlife, searched the vast waterways along Florida's Gulf Coast. The eyes on the water also included the boating public, who received alerts through their radios from the Coast Guard.

Detectives said they are focused on this case, will continue to get the message out, and remain optimistic for the boys' safe return. They are asking Joshua Hakken and his wife to turn themselves in.
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http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/309885/8/Seasoned-sailors-Hakken-may-have-chosen-his-boat-carefully

BREAKING: Reports of Hakken family in Cuba, seasoned sailors say Joshua Hakken may have chosen boat carefully
6:03 PM, Apr 8, 2013

St. Petersburg, FL -- UPDATE: Late this afternoon, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office received information that the Hakken family arrived in Cuba.

A report sent just before 7 p.m. says they are currently working with the FBI, who is in contact with the U.S. State Department, to verify the information.

10 News will continue with updates as soon as we hear more from any of the above agencies.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/florida-authorities-couple-suspected-of-kidnapping-2-young-sons-now-in-cuba-with-boys/2013/04/08/8d252328-a0aa-11e2-bd52-614156372695_story.html

Florida authorities: Couple suspected of kidnapping 2 young sons now in Cuba with boys
(April 8, 2013)

TAMPA, Fla. — A Florida couple suspected of kidnapping their two sons from the woman’s parents are in Cuba, authorities said Monday.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office received information that the Hakken family had arrived on the island nation, according to a news release. Investigators say they’re working with the FBI and the U.S. State Department to verify their reports.

It wasn’t immediately clear what, if anything, authorities could do to retrieve the family from Cuba. An email seeking comment from the State Department wasn’t immediately returned.
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http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/309885/250/Report-Hakken-family-in-Cuba

Report: Hakken family in Cuba; seasoned sailors say Joshua Hakken may have chosen boat carefully
9:33 PM, Apr 8, 2013

St. Petersburg, FL -- Late this afternoon, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office received information that the Hakken family arrived in Cuba.

A report sent just before 7 p.m. says the sheriff's office is currently working with the FBI, who is in contact with the U.S. State Department, to verify the information.

A State Department official released the following statement:

"The U.S. Interest Section is aware of this case and is in contact with local authorities to get more information. U.S. officials are providing all appropriate assistance to the family. Because of privacy reasons, we are unable to provide any additional information. One of the Department's highest priorities is the welfare of U.S. citizens overseas. This is particularly true for children, who are our most vulnerable citizens. The Department works with parents and foreign governments to resolve these difficult cases."
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http://myfox8.com/2013/04/08/search-for-u-s-couple-their-missing-sons-focuses-on-cuba/

Search for U.S. couple, their missing sons focuses on Cuba
Posted on: 10:08 pm, April 8, 2013

(CNN) — The search for a U.S. man who allegedly abducted his two young sons last week focused Monday on Cuba, with a Florida sheriff’s department saying it had received information that the man, his wife and sons had arrived in the island nation, possibly by sailboat.

A State Department official in Washington told CNN that the U.S. Interest Section in Havana “is aware of this case and is in contact with local authorities to get more information.” The official would not comment further, citing “privacy considerations.”
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In Havana, Lynn Roche, an official with the U.S. Interest Section, said section officials couldn’t discuss any case of an American who hasn’t signed a privacy act waiver.

And an official with Cuba’s foreign ministry said Monday evening that his agency was unaware of the case and had not received any requests for help from U.S. officials.
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There is no extradition treaty between Cuba and the United States, although there have been recent cases in which Americans sought for crimes in the United States and discovered in Havana have been sent back by the Cubans.

The FBI currently estimates there are around 70 fugitives from U.S. justice in Cuba, which is one of the reasons Cuba remains on the U.S. list of countries that support state terrorism. Most of the American fugitives in Cuba have been there for decades and have ties to revolutionary movements or radical groups.
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http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/4/9/amber_alert_sheriff_.html

AMBER ALERT: Sheriff's office says missing family may be in Cuba
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 09, 2013, 10:27 AM

TAMPA --
The Tampa family that has been the subject of an Amber Alert for almost a week may be in Cuba.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, information was received on Monday indicating the family arrived in Cuba via their sailboat.

El Nuevo Herald, the Miami Herald's Spanish-language newspaper is confirming the Hakken's are in Cuba. The family is being attended to by U.S. consular officials. A spokesman for the sheriff's office says it is working with the FBI and the US State Dept. to confirm this.
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Late last week, officials discovered that Joshua Hakken recently purchased a sailboat and at least one witness remembered seeing the family sail out of John's Pass towards the Gulf of Mexico.

Now, officials are saying the series of events appear to be a well-planned parental-child abduction as the Hakkens managed to stay a step ahead of authorities and may have made it to foreign soil. Authorities say it may be difficult for the U.S. to extradite them.

The sheriff's office can't answer many more questions because the FBI and US State Department are now involved.

Cuba has no international or bilateral treaties in place with the U.S. dealing with parental-child abduction.

Also, the state department says Cuba does not participate in the Hague Convention, which is an agreement between some 70 countries to return U.S. children that have been abducted.

And, Cuba does not recognize U.S. court orders. That means even though the U.S. took child custody away from the Hakkens, in Cuba officials eyes, Joshua and Sharyn Hakken are still the boys parents.
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http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/09/us/florida-children-abducted/

Hakken family located in Cuban marina
updated 12:15 PM EDT, Tue April 9, 2013

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On Tuesday, CNN spotted the sailboat at the Hemingway Marina in Havana.

A man on board identified himself to CNN as Josh Hakken, but declined to answer questions. Cuban security at the scene asked a CNN reported to leave.

The man, who fit Hakken's description, was with a woman who fits the description of his wife. A child was seen playing in the back of the blue sailboat.

The family survived a treacherous journey on rough seas to get to Cuba.

Authorities believe Josh Hakken abducted his sons Chase, 2, and Cole, 4, early Wednesday after breaking into the Florida home of the children's grandmother and tying her up.

The U.S. Interest Section in Havana "is aware of this case and is in contact with local authorities to get more information," a State Department official in Washington told CNN Tuesday. The official would not comment further, citing "privacy considerations."

But a source close to the search told CNN that Cuban officials are cooperating with U.S. authorities in the case. The source declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter.
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http://tbo.com/news/crime/arrival-in-cuba-of-hakkens-sons-not-yet-confirmed-b82475725z1

CNN: Hakkens, getaway boat in Havana marina
Published: April 9, 2013

(http://www.tbo.com/storyimage/TB/20130409/ARTICLE/304099924/EP/1/2/EP-304099924.jpg&MaxH=337)
PHOTO FROM VIDEO
This video footage from CNN shows one of the boys on the deck of the boat as it is docked in Cuba.

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It is about 330 miles from Tampa Bay south to Havana, Cuba’s capital on the northwest shore.

It wasn't immediately clear what, if anything, authorities could do to retrieve the family from Cuba.

The Hakkens' legal status in communist Cuba would be in question. Americans are allowed by their own country to obtain Cuba travel licenses only for academic, religious, journalistic or cultural exchange trips.

According to the State Department website, “entering Cuban territory, territorial waters or airspace (generally within 12 nautical miles of the Cuban coast) without prior authorization from the Cuban government may result in arrest or other enforcement action by Cuban authorities.”

The sheriff's office has issued an arrest warrant for Joshua Hakken on charges of kidnapping and several other counts.

http://www.melfortjournal.com/2013/04/09/man-who-fled-florida-after-taking-two-sons-sighted-in-cuba

Man who fled Florida after taking two sons sighted in Cuba
Tuesday, April 9, 2013 1:46:44 CST PM

HAVANA - A man accused of kidnapping his two young sons in Florida and fleeing with them by boat was seen in Cuba on Tuesday, where he was believed to be holed up with his wife and children at a marina outside the capital.

Reporters from Reuters and other media outlets attempted to speak with the man, Joshua Hakken, when he appeared briefly to stow away some gear and secure the hatch on a small blue and white sailboat named Salty at the Hemingway Marina near Havana.

But Hakken, a stocky man who was bearded and wearing shorts and a dark green baseball cap, shook his head ‘no’ when asked if would answer any questions.

He then disappeared into a nearby building, which was roped off, and a Cuban man who identified himself as a “dockmaster” said Hakken and his family were clients of the marina and did not want to be interviewed.

Plainclothes security guards equipped with walkie-talkies at the marina prevented reporters from asking any further questions of Hakken, a fugitive from U.S. justice, after he entered the dockside building.

It was unclear exactly when Hakken arrived in Cuba or whether Cuban immigration or U.S. consular officials were dealing with him and his family inside the building.

The cockpit of the Salty, which has a distinctive paw mark emblazoned on one side of the hull, was cluttered with various items including two child car seats with towels draped over them and a travel carrier for a dog or cat.
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::MonkeyDance::

http://miami.cbslocal.com/2013/04/09/missing-florida-children-located-in-cuban-marina/
Cuba Will Turn Over Missing Florida Family
April 9, 2013 5:05 PM

HAVANA, CUBA (CBSMiami) – Cuba said late Tuesday afternoon it would send a Florida couple who allegedly kidnapped their own children back to the United States after the family fled to a Havana harbor.

The family was located by a CNN reporter Tuesday when he ran into the father, Josh Hakken, Tuesday on a boat named Salty at a Havana marina. Cuban security asked CNN to leave the scene when the family was first spotted.

Foreign Ministry official Johana Tablada told The Associated Press in a written statement Tuesday that Cuba had informed U.S. authorities of the country’s decision to turn over Joshua Michael Hakken, his wife Sharyn and their two young boys. She did not say when the handover would occur.
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http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_hillsborough/cnn-did-get-video-of-the-hakken-family-aboard-their-sailboat-at-hemingway-marina-in-Havana

Cuba to turn Amber Alert parents over to US.
Posted: 4:29 PM
Last Updated: 19 minutes ago

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Oppman said he spotted one of the little boys playing aboard the boat but could not identify which one. He also spotted Sharyn Hakken and briefly spoke with her.

"I said, 'You know people are very worried about if your children were OK. I said people are very worried about your children. Are they OK?' She said yes. She nodded her head and indicated that both are OK," Oppman said.

Also spotted on board was Joshua Hakken. Oppman said he did approach him and asked him if he was Joshua.

"He said, 'Yeah I am Josh, who are you?'"

When Oppmann told Hakken he was a reporter, Hakken allegedly got upset and stormed off the boat.

Oppman recently tweeted his sources are telling him U.S. and Cuban officials are cooperating to protect the Hakken children.

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Cuba-Says-It-Will-Turn-Over-To-United-States-Parents-Who-Allegedly-Fled-With-Kidnapped-Children-202195721.html

Cuba Says It Will Turn Over to United States Parents Who Allegedly Fled with Kidnapped Children
Cuba says it will turn over to U.S. Florida parents who allegedly fled with kidnapped children, The Associated Press reports.
Tuesday, Apr 9, 2013 | Updated 7:46 PM EDT

Cuba said it will turn over to the United States a Florida couple who allegedly kidnapped their own children from the mother's parents and fled by boat to Havana, ending days of drama that recalled the Elian Gonzalez custody battle of more than a decade ago.

Foreign Ministry official Johana Tablada said in a written statement Tuesday that Cuba had informed U.S. authorities of the country's decision to turn over Joshua Michael Hakken, 35, his wife Sharyn, 34, and their two young boys. She did not say when the handover would occur.

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Hakken lost custody of his sons last year after a drug possession arrest in Louisiana and later tried to take the children from a foster home at gunpoint, authorities said. A warrant has been issued for his arrest on two counts of kidnapping; interference with child custody; child neglect; false imprisonment and other charges.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Hakken entered his mother-in-law's Florida house last Wednesday, tied her up and fled with his sons. Federal, state and local authorities searched by air and sea for a boat Hakken had recently bought. The truck Hakken, his wife and the boys had been traveling in was found Thursday, abandoned in Madeira Beach, Florida.

Their flight to Cuba recalls the child custody case that set the two Cold War foes feuding in 1999. That year, 5-year-old Elian Gonzalez was found clinging to an inner tube off Florida after his mother and others drowned while fleeing Cuba toward American soil. The boy was taken to Miami to live with relatives, but his father in Cuba demanded the boy be sent back.

U.S. courts ultimately ruled Gonzalez should be sent back, though his Miami relatives refused to return him. In April 2000, U.S. federal agents raided the family's home and he was returned to Cuba soon after. He has since grown into a young man and joined a military academy.

At the Havana marina on Tuesday, the family showed no sign they knew a decision about their fate had been made. The four strolled by an outdoor restaurant as security officials kept reporters at a distance.

The youngest child was seated in a stroller and the elder boy sat down on a curb. A woman who resembled Sharyn Hakken was seen on the boat.

Cuban officials told reporters not to take pictures of the family or the boat, which bore the name Salty and had a paw print on its side.

Andrew Zych, a Canadian docked in a sailboat steps away from the Hakkens, said the family had arrived recently and seemed normal.

"I liked the way they played with the kids," he said, adding he was surprised to learn of events in the U.S.

http://www.610kvnu.com/world/bb49d3f103a38d2d8712ccc861e8fc21

Cuba Will Turn Over American Parents Who Fled to Country with Kidnapped Children
Posted today at 5:21pm

Hillsborough County Sheriff(HAVANA, Cuba) -- Cuban officials said Tuesday they will turn over the American parents who are accused of fleeing to the island country from Florida with their kidnapped sons.

It was not immediately known when Cuba planned to turn over Joshua Hakken, 35, his wife Sharyn Hakken, 34, and their two young sons, Cole, 4, and Chase, 2.

The Hakkens arrived in the Hemingway Marina in Havana on April 7 aboard their sailboat, Salty Paw, under unfavorable sailing conditions, according to a statement from the Cuban Foreign Ministry.

The next day, Cuban officials said they became aware the Hakkens were wanted in an abduction case and contacted U.S. officials in Havana.

Cuba does not have an extradition treaty with the United States. However, the Cuban Foreign Ministry said it remained in frequent diplomatic communication with U.S. Interests Section in Havana regarding the situation.

The Hakken family was spotted by ABC News Tuesday getting off the boat in Havana and being escorted by government officials. Joshua Hakken and his sons were accompanied to a restaurant on the marina by dozens of Cuban government officials, while Sharyn Hakken was seen being driven away in a government vehicle, according to an ABC News producer in Havana.
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http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/cnn-spots-hakken-family-in-havana-marina/2114034
Cuba returning Hakkens to U.S.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013 12:31pm

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She did not say when the hand-over would occur, but the Associated Press reported Tuesday evening that reporters saw Sharyn Hakken leaving the dock of Havana's Hemingway Marina in the back seat of a Cuban government vehicle, and workers later said that all four Hakkens had been taken away.
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great news,
::MonkeyCheer4:: ::MonkeyCheer4:: ::MonkeyCheer4::
i was worried,if josh was an accomplished sailor,a little about the Marina Hemingway

Marina Hemingway, run by the governmental Cubanacán, is Cuba's largest marina with an official capacity of up to 400 vessels. In reality, there are closer to 100 slips that are usable - the others needing repair and installation of basic marina services (power & water).

Mariners will find the entrance to the marina challenging and should only be attempted in relatively calm conditions. Vessels must navigate a very narrow channel with shallow coral on either side to enter Marina Hemingway. Nighttime entry is particularly dangerous and should be avoided as the channel marker lights are difficult to distinguish from city lights in their background.

Vessels approaching the entrance to Marina Hemingway should hail the port captain on VHF channel 16 or 72, or over SSB 7462.
http://www.hemingwaycuba.com/marina-hemingway-cuba.html

Florida abduction: A libertarian washed ashore in the worker's paradise
By Matt Smith, CNN
updated 8:29 PM EDT, Tue April 9, 2013
vid @ link
::snipping2::
(CNN) -- Online acquaintances wished fair winds and following seas to Joshua Hakken as he fled to Cuba, a strange refuge for a professed fan of Ron Paul.

Hakken, his wife and their two sons, 2-year-old Chase and 4-year-old Cole, were at a marina on the communist-ruled island when CNN found them aboard their small sailboat Tuesday. Florida authorities believe Hakken sailed there after abducting the two boys from the Tampa home of their grandmother, who was granted custody after Hakken's 2012 arrest on drug charges in Louisiana.

"This all just seems like the government is yet again making real criminals out of non-violent peaceful freedom lovers," wrote one commenter on "Adam Vs. The Man," a libertarian web forum.
::snipping2::
Both Hakken and his wife, Sharyn, held professional engineering certificates -- hers in civil engineering, his in the mechanical and fire-protection specialties, according to state records.

After high school, he attended the Air Force Academy in Colorado from June 1996 to May 1998, academy spokesman Meade Warthen told CNN. Online, Hakken said he left because of a previously undiagnosed spinal condition; Warthen said the academy couldn't comment on the reason for his withdrawal
::snipping2::
The couple's legal woes began last June with what police called a "disturbance" at a hotel in Slidell, Louisiana, just east of New Orleans.

"When police arrived, both Mr. and Mrs. Hakken were acting in a bizarre manner that alarmed officers," a Slidell police statement recounts. "They were talking about 'completing their ultimate journey' and were traveling across the country to 'take a journey to the Armageddon.' Let it be noted that both of their children were present in the hotel room at the time."

Police said they found both drugs and weapons in the room and called in the state Office of Child Services, which "determined that the children were in danger" and took them into their custody. Hakken was charged with marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and the use of a controlled substance around minors; "Officers also took custody of several weapons for safe keeping."
::snipping2::
The children were put into foster care with a family in Tangipahoa Parish, north of Lake Pontchartrain. Two weeks after the arrest, the foster mother called 911 and told dispatchers, "I need a cop now. I have a guy at my house with a gun."

"I have two foster children, and it's their dad ... I don't hear banging, but I'm not getting out 'til a cop car gets here," she said.

Hakken left without the boys, who later were sent to live with Patricia Hauser, Sharyn Hakken's mother, in Tampa. On April 2, a Louisiana court terminated the couple's parental rights, investigators say.

The following day, Hillsborough County authorities say Hakken entered Hauser's home, tied her up and took off in her Toyota Camry with the boys. Three and a half hours later, surveillance video captured their recently-purchased sailboat heading into the Gulf of Mexico.
more @ link
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/09/us/florida-hakken-profile/index.html

http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/310069/250/Authorities-headed-to-Cuba-to-pick-up-the-Hakkens

Authorities headed to Cuba to pick up the Hakkens
11:31 PM, Apr 9, 2013

TAMPA, Florida -- Cuba has agreed to return the Hakken family to the United States. 10 News has learned all four family members will be coming back to Tampa.
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The U.S. says it's received exceptional cooperation from Cuba.
Cuba tipped off the State Department to the Hakkens' presence on Sunday, and from that moment the plan to return them was on.

Right now, it's not clear when the handover will happen. When the family arrives they'll be checked out at the hospital, the parents will be arrested, and the boys will be reunited with their maternal grandparents, who have permanent custody of them.
::snipping2::

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_hillsborough/fbi-agents-say-they-treated-the-kidnapping-of-the-hakken-boys-as-a-hostage-situation

FBI agents say they treated the kidnapping of the Hakken boys as a hostage situation
Posted: 12:09 AM
Last Updated: 12 minutes ago

TAMPA, FL - FBI agents and Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies say the Hakken family is in custody and headed back to the Tampa Bay area.

According to agents, Joshua and Sharyn Hakken are handcuffed, and not seated with their children. They also said there are victim's advocates and counselors working with Cole and Chase.
::snipping2::
GRANDPARENTS MAKE STATEMENT
Bob and Pat Hauser said they did have a phone conversation with their grandsons before they took off for the U.S. They said they are thankful to all the law enforcement that helped in this search and for bringing these boys safe.

"The Cuban government was amazing," said Bob Hauser.
::snipping2::
WHAT'S NEXT
FBI agents could not say if the Hakkens tried to run or cooperated with the authorities. They also could not say whether there were guns on board the sailboat.

In the next 24 hours, the Hakkens will be booked into the Hillsborough County Jail and the children will be returned to their maternal grandparents.

The Hakkens are also facing federal charges.

The family dog, a rat terrier name Natti, was also on the sailboat. FBI agents say they have custody of the dog and the dog will be given to the boys once they land.

http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/region_tampa/Hakken-parents-arrested-and-charged-children-safe-

Hakken parents arrested and charged, children safe
Young brothers back safe with their grandparents
Posted: 8:21 AM
Last Updated: 14 minutes ago

TAMPA - Joshua and Sharyn Hakken are now behind bars after days of running from the law with their children.

They were booked into the Orient Road jail in Hillsborough County around 4:00 Wednesday morning. Both of them shackled at the ankles and the wrists with nothing to say to reporters who fired questions at them regarding the alleged kidnapping.

The Hakkens are facing a slew of charges including kidnapping, interference in child custody, child neglect and grand theft auto after allegedly abducting their children from their maternal grandmother's Tampa home.
::snipping2::
Both Sharyn and Joshua Hakken are scheduled to make their first appearances in front of a Hillsborough County judge Thursday morning at 8:00.

Video at link

http://abcnews.go.com/US/parents-cuba-kidnap-case-isolated-jail-population/story?id=18920393#.UWYIrL4o7IV

Parents in Cuba Kidnap Case Isolated From Jail Population
April 10, 2013

The American parents accused of fleeing to Cuba with their kidnapped sons are being isolated at a Florida jail for their safety as they await their first court date, a jail official told ABCNews.com.

Although Joshua Hakken, 35, and Sharyn Hakken, 34, are being held in their own cells at the Hillsborough County Jail, they are receiving no special treatment, Corporal Howard Lindsey said.

"In any case that is high profile, when they first arrive here we try to segregate them from the general population until the hype calms down," Lindsey said.

The Hakkens were returned to the United States early this morning in the custody of FBI agents before they were booked into the Hillsborough County Jail.

Their sons, Cole 4, and Chase, 2, who were also on board the flight from Cuba, were returned to the custody of their maternal grandparents.

A few hours before the plane landed, authorities held a news conference and said both parents are facing kidnapping, child interference with child custody and neglect charges. Joshua Hakken is facing grand theft auto, false imprisonment, battery and burglary. Hakken is also facing a federal charge for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The couple is scheduled to make their first court appearance on Thursday.
::snipping2::

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57578940/u.s-couple-who-fled-to-cuba-with-kids-vowed-journey-to-the-armageddon/

April 10, 2013, 3:55 PM
Police: U.S. couple who fled to Cuba with kids vowed "journey to the Armageddon"

TAMPA, Fla. Joshua and Sharyn Hakken seemed to have a charmed life, doting on their two young boys, buying a comfortable home and building successful careers as engineers. It all derailed last year when police in Louisiana found the family inside a hotel room with drugs, weapons and promises from the parents to take "a journey to the Armageddon."
::snipping2::
Friends of the couple said the family seemed happy and had no marital problems.

"This is a train that went completely off the tracks, and I don't have any explanation for how it can go off the track that badly basically in a year and a half. It's very bizarre," said Darrell Hanecki, who employed Sharyn Hakken for nearly a decade at Hanecki Consulting Engineers.
::snipping2::

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/article/310241/8/Could-the-Hakkens-ever-get-parental-rights-restored

Could Joshua and Sharyn Hakken ever get parental rights restored?
4:46 PM, Apr 10, 2013

::snipping2::
Sharyn, whose charges suggest was part of the plan, faces two counts of kidnapping and interfering with child custody. Joshua faces the same, plus a false imprisonment charge for tying up his mother-in-law during the kidnapping.

If convicted on the charges, the Hakkens like face several years behind bars, but it's feasible that one or both of them could be released while their sons are still minors.

DCF officials say if the grandparents -- still technically foster parents -- legally adopt the boys, then Sharyn and Joshua would lose any chance of ever having their parental rights restored.

But if the Hausers don't adopt the boys, the Hakkens could eventually try to re-establish ties.

"They're going to have to go through a home study. They're gonna have to get a background check, they're gonna have to go through that entire process," said Terri Durdaller, a spokesperson for DCF.

In the end, the Hakkens may actually want the grandparents to adopt the children. The Hausers would then at least have the authority to let the Hakkens visit the kids, which the state would ban them from doing.

Although the Hakkens could be assigned a bond on Thursday, don't expect the couple to be released any time soon. The federal government has also placed a "hold" on Joshua and Sharyn for "unlawful flight."

http://www.thespectrum.com/usatoday/article/2073559

Fla. couple accused of kidnapping kids denied bail
Apr. 11, 2013 10:29 AM

A judge ordered two Florida parents charged with kidnapping their boys in a custody dispute and fleeing to Cuba by sailboat to remain in jail without bond until at least Monday.

Prosecutors requested a pretrial detention hearing set for Monday morning, the Tampa Bay Times reported, during which witnesses could be brought forward to make a case for denying the couple bail.

"If in fact (prosecutors) present the proper evidence, you can be held without bond for the duration of your case," Circuit Judge Walter Heinrich explained to the couple during their first court appearance Thursday morning, according to the Times.

Heinrich also ordered Joshua and Sharyn Hakken to have no contact with any of the victims or witnesses in the case. The two face charges including kidnapping, child neglect, false imprisonment, burglary and interference with custody.

The Hakkens are being represented by public defenders after they said they did not have enough money for private council, according to WTSP-TV.
::snipping2::

Quote from: grace-land on April 11, 2013, 11:11:55 AM

I hope in this particular case the Hakkens will be held without bail due to flight risk. JMHO

Quote from: MuffyBee on April 11, 2013, 11:25:59 AM

Quote from: grace-land on April 11, 2013, 11:11:55 AM

I hope in this particular case the Hakkens will be held without bail due to flight risk. JMHO

Agree--at least for Jashua.

Quote

A few hours before the plane landed, authorities held a news conference and said both parents are facing kidnapping, child interference with child custody and neglect charges. Joshua Hakken is facing grand theft auto, false imprisonment, battery and burglary. Hakken is also facing a federal charge for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. The couple is scheduled to make their first court appearance on Thursday.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/parents-cuba-kidnap-case-isolated-jail-population/story?id=18920393#.UWcoF74o7IW
April 10, 2013

http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/bn9/2013/4/11/hakkens_to_make_firs.html

Bond hearing for Hakkens rescheduled for Friday
Last Updated: Thursday, April 11, 2013, 12:00 PM

TAMPA --
Joshua and Sharyn Hakken, who are accused of kidnapping their young sons and sailing to Cuba with them, will have a pretrail detention hearing on Friday morning.

The Hakkens face charges of kidnapping, child neglect and interfering with child custody. They will appear before Hillsborough Circuit Judge Chet Tharpe Friday at 10:30 a.m. The Hakkens will be represented by a public defender.

They are currently being held without bond.

"If in fact (prosecutors) present the proper evidence, you can be held without bond for the duration of your case," Circuit Judge Walter Heinrich told the Hakkens in court Thursday morning.
::snipping2::

http://www.wtsp.com/news/topstories/article/310533/250/Hakkens-waive-bond-hearing-will-remain-in-jail

Joshua and Sharon Hakken waive their right to a bond hearing, will remain in jail for now
9:45 AM, Apr 12, 2013

Tampa, Florida -- Joshua and Sharyn Hakken, the parents accused of kidnapping their own children and taking them to Cuba, will continue to be held without bond.

A bond hearing was originally scheduled for Friday, after the Hakkens made their first court appearance a day earlier. But on Thursday night, the husband and wife rescinded their request for a hearing.

Both Hakkens are being represented by public council, saying they can't afford private lawyers. During an arraignment hearing Friday morning, the public defender said he had no intention of asking for bond any time in the future.
::snipping2::
The next court date for the Hakkens is May 30.

http://www.cfnews13.com/content/news/cfnews13/news/article.html/content/news/articles/ap/2013/04/12/Documents_Dad_stocked_sailboat_before_kidnapping.html

Documents: Hakken father stocked sailboat before kidnapping
Last Updated: Friday, April 12, 2013, 2:24 PM

TAMPA, Fla. --
(AP) The man accused of kidnapping his two young sons and sailing to Cuba had spent weeks loading the family's boat with supplies and had suggested the family might sail as far away as South America, according to court documents released Friday.

The affidavit's release coincided with a hearing for Joshua and Sharyn Hakken in Tampa, though the couple did not attend. They were ordered to remain in jail without bond, which their public defender did not contest.

Federal prosecutors formally dropped their case against the couple Friday, though they still face kidnapping charges in Florida's Hillsborough County. Their attorney entered not guilty pleas on their behalf Friday.

The affidavit detailing how the Hakkens prepared for the trip to Cuba was part of the now-closed federal case.

An unidentified witness told a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office detective she had sold Joshua Hakken a boat for $3,500 in January and that Hakken paid $400 to store the boat at a boat slip. The witness said Hakken would visit the boat once a week and load boxes of supplies into the cabin. Last week, on the day the family disappeared, the Hakkens and their boys showed up at the boat and told the slip owner they were heading to Key West and possibly South America, the witness said.
::snipping2::

http://tbo.com/news/crime/documents-email-facebook-used-in-hakkens-kidnapping-plan-b82479599z1

Documents: Email, Facebook used in Hakken’s kidnapping plan
Published: April 17, 2013

TAMPA - The couple accused of abducting their two young sons and taking them to Cuba used email and Facebook in an attempt to throw authorities off their trail, court records show.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Special Agent Jay Best wrote in a search warrant affidavit that the laptop of Joshua and Sharyn Hakken had “numerous electronically created documents that detailed the suspects plan to defect from the United States of America with the victims of the kidnapping.”

The abduction of Chase, 2, and Cole, 4, from their maternal grandparents’ North Tampa home took place April 3.

But on April 5, Sharyn Hakken used Facebook’s instant messaging feature to tell an acquaintance in Alabama that she was still in Tampa, the affidavit said.

The Hakkens and their sons were already on a 25-foot sailboat headed for Cuba on that day, according to investigators.

The affidavit also said that Joshua Hakken was living in the Detroit Resort Motel in Spring Hill for eight weeks as he plotted to take his family out of the country.

Hakken used an alias, “Richard Dominick,” and gave motel managers the email address “mysticknight13@gmail.com” as the best way to contact him “during the extended stay at the hotel,” the affidavit said.

Hakken checked out of the Detroit Resort in the early morning hours of April 3, the day Cole and Chase were taken from the home of their grandmother, Patricia Hauser, authorities said.

In the affidavit, investigators said they had requested search warrants for Joshua Hakken’s email account and Sharyn Hakken’s Facebook account because the privacy settings had been activated and investigators could not access it.

“Social networks and the communication through them can be used to facilitate escape, concealment of significant others, parental abductions and evasion of law enforcement,” FDLE special agent Chuck McMullen wrote in the affidavit.
::snipping2::

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/52042634/ns/local_news-tampa_fl/t/no-gag-order-case-tampa-couple-charged-kidnapping/

No gag order in case with Tampa couple charged with kidnapping
updated 5/30/2013 11:20:00 AM ET

The Tampa couple charged with kidnapping their young boys and fleeing to Cuba waived their court appearance on Thursday. Joshua and Sharyn Hakken's disposition hearing was set for 8:30 a.m. at the Hillsborough County Courthouse.

The judge ruled a gag order would be premature at this time for attorneys and law enforcement involved in the case. Any case discovery will be on 30 day delay.

The Hakkens previously entered a written plea of not guilty to charges of kidnapping, child abuse and interfering with child custody
::snipping3::

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/attorney-joshua-and-sharyn-hakken-feared-for-kids-lives-were-seeking/2127102

Attorney: Joshua and Sharyn Hakken feared for kids' lives, were 'seeking asylum' in Cuba
Monday, June 17, 2013 1:00pm

The Tampa couple accused of kidnapping their sons at gunpoint and absconding on a sailboat across the Gulf of Mexico tried to formally seek asylum from Cuban authorities, asserting the lives of their children were at risk from U.S. government officials, one parent's lawyer said Monday.

Joshua and Sharyn Hakken met with a lawyer in Cuba after arriving there in April, and were initially told they would be safe from U.S. law enforcement while their asylum application was reviewed, said Tampa lawyer Bryant Camareno, who is representing Sharyn Hakken.

"They sought counsel, and they actually met with a lawyer in Cuba," Camareno said. "They felt that their kids' lives were in danger from the (U.S.) government." He said the couple also believed that if Cuba rejected them, they would have time to seek protection at other foreign governments' embassies in Havana.

The couple's dreams of a safe haven abroad were short-lived. Within days of the Hakkens' arrival at Hemingway Marina outside Havana, Cuban authorities gave the U.S. permission to apprehend the family and extradite them to Florida. Both parents are jailed as they await trial in Hillsborough Circuit Court on charges including kidnapping and child abuse.

But the description of the Hakkens' overtures to Cuban officials and fears of government intrusion in their boys' lives provides an early glimpse of their mind-set and legal strategy. Camareno's remarks to the Tampa Bay Times, made after Joshua and Sharyn Hakken briefly appeared in court Monday, marked the first time the couple's own account of their motives has emerged.

The argument that the Hakkens were attempting to extricate their sons from a tyrannical child welfare system also promises to bring more national attention to the bizarre saga of an American family driven by mistrust of government to seek refuge in the Western Hemisphere's last communist country.
::snipping3::

http://www.tampabay.com/news/courts/criminal/details-emerge-of-hakkens-anti-government-beliefs/2128590

Details emerge of Hakkens' 'antigovernment' beliefs
Tuesday, June 25, 2013 8:51pm

TAMPA — Politics has assumed an oddly prominent role in the criminal case of Joshua and Sharyn Hakken, the Tampa engineers accused of kidnapping their sons and fleeing more than 300 miles on a sailboat to Cuba.

At the case's outset, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said the couple were "antigovernment," a characterization echoed in news coverage. Some sympathizers have bristled at the focus on the Hakkens' ideology, saying the pair have been unfairly painted as extremists.

Interviews this week with the couple's defense attorneys and authorities in Louisiana — where the Hakkens had early run-ins with law enforcement last year — suggest elements of truth to both perspectives, and offer clues to the beliefs undergirding the Hakkens' actions.

While the pair hold deep-seated suspicions of government, according to their attorneys, early descriptions of some of their political activities by law enforcement officials now appear to have been inaccurate.

In particular, there is no available evidence the Hakkens attended an "antigovernment rally" last summer outside New Orleans, as was initially asserted by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.
::snipping3::

Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

Missing, Exploited and True Crime => Missing Found Safe => Topic started by: cw618 on April 06, 2013, 01:49:34 AM