Officials believe 'anti-government parents who kidnapped their toddler sons' switched to a SAILBOAT and are heading to Gulf of Mexico after their truck was found near Florida marina
Deputies on the hunt for a Florida
couple accused of kidnapping their two young sons now believe that the
family may be on board a sailboat after their pickup truck was
discovered abandoned in Madeira Beach.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Friday that 35-year-old Joshua Michael Hakken recently bought a 25-foot 1972 Morgan sailboat with a blue hull with the word 'Salty' painted on it and white paw prints on both sides. The boat's whereabouts are unknown.
The vessel bears Florida Boat Registration #FL3717BK, HUL #M252099. There may be a yellow horseshoe life preserver on deck.
Hillsborough Sheriff's spokesman Larry McKinnon told ABC Action News that
the U.S. Coast Guard along, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
commission and other agencies will be searching for the boat on the
water and from the air.
The official said that it
appears that boat was part of the Hakkens' coordinated abduction plan,
and that it is possible that they have returned back on dry land and
switched to another vehicle by now.
'These are not dumb people. They're very intelligent people with some emotional issues,' McKinnon said. 'Our goal is to still resolve this peacefully.'
Law enforcement officials will
be checking all inlets and intercoastal waterways from the Panhandle in
all the way to Naples in search of the family.
The pickup truck that police say Hakken had used to abduct his two sons from their grandmother's home earlier this week was found abandoned in a Madeira Beach parking garage Thursday night.
Officials searching for Cole and Chase Hakken came across the black 2006 GMC pickup belonging to the boys' father, 35-year-old Joshua Hakken, on the second floor of the John's Pass garage at 12902 Gulf Boulevard.
Detectives and crime scene investigators who arrived on the scene just before 11pm inspected the vehicle for any clues that may lead them to the Hakkens before the empty truck was towed away.
According to authorities, Mr Hakken,
possibly acting together with his wife, 34-year-old Sharyn Hakken, kidnapped four-year-old Cole and
two-year-old Chase from the Tampa home of their maternal grandmother
Wednesday morning and tying up the elderly woman.
The abduction came just days after the Hakkens lost their parental rights. Their sons' grandmother Patricia Hauser has been granted permanent custody of the children.
Police say the parents are anti-government, armed and dangerous. Amber alerts have been issued by several states, including Tennessee where the GMC pickup truck was allegedly spotted days earlier.
Meanwhile, court documents released Friday state that Mr Hakken has previously planned to commit suicide and discussed taking 'a journey to Armageddon,' Tampa Bay Times reported.
According to Louisiana police, Patricia Hauser noticed that her son-in-law had a gun when he came to her house to kidnap the children, and before he left she heard him say: 'Phase one completed. Ready for phase two.'
The sheriff's office issued a warrant for the arrest of Joshua Hakken, who faces two counts of kidnapping, two counts child neglect, two counts false imprisonment, one count burglary with a battery and one count grand theft auto, TBO.com reported.
Cole Hakken, four, and his two-year-old brother, Chase, were snatched by father, Joshua, at 6.30am Wednesday in Tampa, Florida.
A national Amber Alert has been issued, stating that the family may be traveling west, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reported. Both boys have brown hair and brown eyes and were last seen wearing their pajamas.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Joshua Hakken waited until his father-in-law had left for work before he sneaked into the home and tied up Mrs Hauser with zip ties.
He then woke up his two sons and led them out of the house still wearing their pajamas. The trio got into Hauser's Toyota Camry, which was later found abandoned not far from the grandmother's home.
Officials believe Hakken and his children later got into the GMC pickup truck, with Sharyn Hakken behind the wheel.
Police were alerted 40 minutes later after the grandmother managed to free herself and dialed 911.
'Hi, my son-in-law just kidnapped my two grandchildren,' she says in the recording o the phone call. 'They've been in state custody. … He's not supposed to be near them.'
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: 'Both suspects are anti-government and have attempted a previous abduction at gunpoint in Louisiana.'
Officials say the couple have been stripped of their parental rights earlier this week after having the boys removed from their care months earlier.
Authorities in Louisiana have told Florida deputies that the children were initially placed in a foster care center. At some point, the Hakkens arrived at the facility armed with guns and unsuccessfully attempted to enter it.
Chase and Cole Hakken were later sent to live with their grandmother in Tampa, who was granted permanent custody of the boys.
Joshua Hakken, 35, fled the home on Shady Shores Drive in Ms Hauser's 2009 Silver Toyota Camry.
It is believed that they could now be traveling in a black 2006 GMC pick-up truck with Florida tag number U95KT. They may be pulling a 2012 Forrest River pop camper, Florida tag: BHNV-86.
The vehicle may have been spotted in the area of Highway 30 and Highway 411 in Etowah, Tennessee Wednesday night around 8pm, WBIR reported. The couple also have ties to Slidell, Louisiana, and may be heading there.
Anyone with any information is asked to dial 911 or call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 247 8200.
The sheriff's office told CNN that the Hakkens' troubles started last June when the husband was arrested on multiple drug charges while attending an anti-government rally in Louisiana.
Detective Daniel Seuzeneau, with the Slidell Police Department, told WGNO that Joshua Hakken had first appeared on their radar in June 17, 2012, after causing disturbance inside a hotel that was the site of an anti-government rally.
Police described Mr and Mrs Hakken as being intoxicated and making incoherent statements completing their ultimate journey' and riving to California to 'beat the Armageddon.'
Joshua Hakken talked about a series of fantasy books that had changed his life, called The Sword of Truth. He said he was heading to the 'Valley of Rahaan.' The Hakkens' two small children were present.
In the hotel room police found marijuana, a gun and a large knife. Mr Hakken was arrested on multiple drug charges and jailed for about a week.
Meanwhile, police fearing or the safety of Chase and Cole contacted the Department of Children and Family Services, which took the Hakkens' children into custody.
Sheriff's Cpl. Kevin Bodie told Tampa Bay Times that Hakken is a mechanical engineer who owns a business in South Tampa. His wife has been certified as a civil engineer.
According to her Facebook page, Sharyn Hakken got her Bachelor's degree from University of South Florida in geotechnical engineering in 2001 before obtaining a Master's degree in civil engineering from USF in 2008.
Last February, someone by the
user name SailingBull posted on the libertarian forum Adam vs The Man
that was started by Adam Charles Kokesh, an Iraq War veteran, activist
and talk radio host who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in New Mexico.
'My name is Joshua Hakken,' the forum member wrote. 'I am a father, a registered professional mechanical engineer and a veteran of the USAF. I am absolutely devoted to life, liberty, the rights of the individual and the Constitution of the United States of America.'
Hakken lamented that 'things here in Florida have not added up for quite some time,' and emphasized the importance of 'maintaining open communication lines for ideas, observations and news...if the "good guys" are to be successful in surviving to maintain the fight of ideas.'
The couple own a home in the Virginia Park area south of Palma Ceia, where neighbors described them as a normal, average family. While Robert Lucas said the Hakkens were not overly outgoing, that did not seem like bad people.
However, neighbor Lindsay Fleming recalled that one time, the parents were puffing on marijuana joints outside their home with their toddler sons nearby.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said Friday that 35-year-old Joshua Michael Hakken recently bought a 25-foot 1972 Morgan sailboat with a blue hull with the word 'Salty' painted on it and white paw prints on both sides. The boat's whereabouts are unknown.
The vessel bears Florida Boat Registration #FL3717BK, HUL #M252099. There may be a yellow horseshoe life preserver on deck.
New twist: Officials say suspected kidnapper
Joshua Hakken recently bought a 25-foot 1972 Morgan sailboat with a blue
hull, and they suspect he and his family are on it now
By land and by sea: The hull of the boat has the
word 'Salty' painted on it and white paw prints on both sides (left),
and officials believe the Hakkens planned all along to use the vessel in
the abduction plot
Last sighting: The family were seen sailing in
their boat underneath the John¿s Pass Bridge towards the Gulf of Mexico
after ditching their truck
'These are not dumb people. They're very intelligent people with some emotional issues,' McKinnon said. 'Our goal is to still resolve this peacefully.'
According
to McKinnon, after ditching their GMC pickup truck in a parking garage
in Madeira Beach near the marina on the day of the kidnapping, the
parents and their toddler sons, Cole and Chase, were seen sailing in
their boat underneath the John’s Pass Bridge towards the Gulf of
Mexico, Bay News 9 reported.
The pickup truck that police say Hakken had used to abduct his two sons from their grandmother's home earlier this week was found abandoned in a Madeira Beach parking garage Thursday night.
Officials searching for Cole and Chase Hakken came across the black 2006 GMC pickup belonging to the boys' father, 35-year-old Joshua Hakken, on the second floor of the John's Pass garage at 12902 Gulf Boulevard.
Detectives and crime scene investigators who arrived on the scene just before 11pm inspected the vehicle for any clues that may lead them to the Hakkens before the empty truck was towed away.
Abducted: Chase Hakken, aged two, (left) and his
four-year-old brother Cole (right) were snatched by their
'anti-government' parents from their grandparents' home in Tampa,
Florida on Tuesday morning
Clue: Officials searching for Cole and Chase
Hakken came across the black 2006 GMC pickup belonging to the boys'
father on the second floor of the John's Pass garage in Madeira Beach
Search for leads: Detectives and crime scene
investigators inspected the vehicle for any clues that may lead them to
the Hakkens before the empty truck was towed away
The abduction came just days after the Hakkens lost their parental rights. Their sons' grandmother Patricia Hauser has been granted permanent custody of the children.
Police say the parents are anti-government, armed and dangerous. Amber alerts have been issued by several states, including Tennessee where the GMC pickup truck was allegedly spotted days earlier.
Meanwhile, court documents released Friday state that Mr Hakken has previously planned to commit suicide and discussed taking 'a journey to Armageddon,' Tampa Bay Times reported.
According to Louisiana police, Patricia Hauser noticed that her son-in-law had a gun when he came to her house to kidnap the children, and before he left she heard him say: 'Phase one completed. Ready for phase two.'
The sheriff's office issued a warrant for the arrest of Joshua Hakken, who faces two counts of kidnapping, two counts child neglect, two counts false imprisonment, one count burglary with a battery and one count grand theft auto, TBO.com reported.
Cole Hakken, four, and his two-year-old brother, Chase, were snatched by father, Joshua, at 6.30am Wednesday in Tampa, Florida.
A national Amber Alert has been issued, stating that the family may be traveling west, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office reported. Both boys have brown hair and brown eyes and were last seen wearing their pajamas.
According to the Tampa Bay Times, Joshua Hakken waited until his father-in-law had left for work before he sneaked into the home and tied up Mrs Hauser with zip ties.
He then woke up his two sons and led them out of the house still wearing their pajamas. The trio got into Hauser's Toyota Camry, which was later found abandoned not far from the grandmother's home.
Officials believe Hakken and his children later got into the GMC pickup truck, with Sharyn Hakken behind the wheel.
Police were alerted 40 minutes later after the grandmother managed to free herself and dialed 911.
'Hi, my son-in-law just kidnapped my two grandchildren,' she says in the recording o the phone call. 'They've been in state custody. … He's not supposed to be near them.'
Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said in a statement: 'Both suspects are anti-government and have attempted a previous abduction at gunpoint in Louisiana.'
Officials say the couple have been stripped of their parental rights earlier this week after having the boys removed from their care months earlier.
Authorities in Louisiana have told Florida deputies that the children were initially placed in a foster care center. At some point, the Hakkens arrived at the facility armed with guns and unsuccessfully attempted to enter it.
Chase and Cole Hakken were later sent to live with their grandmother in Tampa, who was granted permanent custody of the boys.
Joshua Hakken, 35, fled the home on Shady Shores Drive in Ms Hauser's 2009 Silver Toyota Camry.
'Armed and dangerous': Joshua Hakken, 35,
(pictured left) and his wife Sharyn, 34, (right) are believed to have
tried an abduction before in Louisiana
Crime scene: Officials say Joshua Hakken entered
a home in the 14000 block of Shady Shores Drive owned by his sons'
maternal grandmother, tied up the woman and abducted the boys
The vehicle may have been spotted in the area of Highway 30 and Highway 411 in Etowah, Tennessee Wednesday night around 8pm, WBIR reported. The couple also have ties to Slidell, Louisiana, and may be heading there.
Anyone with any information is asked to dial 911 or call the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office at 247 8200.
The sheriff's office told CNN that the Hakkens' troubles started last June when the husband was arrested on multiple drug charges while attending an anti-government rally in Louisiana.
Detective Daniel Seuzeneau, with the Slidell Police Department, told WGNO that Joshua Hakken had first appeared on their radar in June 17, 2012, after causing disturbance inside a hotel that was the site of an anti-government rally.
Police described Mr and Mrs Hakken as being intoxicated and making incoherent statements completing their ultimate journey' and riving to California to 'beat the Armageddon.'
Joshua Hakken talked about a series of fantasy books that had changed his life, called The Sword of Truth. He said he was heading to the 'Valley of Rahaan.' The Hakkens' two small children were present.
In the hotel room police found marijuana, a gun and a large knife. Mr Hakken was arrested on multiple drug charges and jailed for about a week.
Meanwhile, police fearing or the safety of Chase and Cole contacted the Department of Children and Family Services, which took the Hakkens' children into custody.
Sheriff's Cpl. Kevin Bodie told Tampa Bay Times that Hakken is a mechanical engineer who owns a business in South Tampa. His wife has been certified as a civil engineer.
According to her Facebook page, Sharyn Hakken got her Bachelor's degree from University of South Florida in geotechnical engineering in 2001 before obtaining a Master's degree in civil engineering from USF in 2008.
Wanted: Law enforcement officers stand in front
of the home of Joshua Hakken at 3609 Sterling Avenue in Tampa as a K-9
dog searches the perimeter of the home
'My name is Joshua Hakken,' the forum member wrote. 'I am a father, a registered professional mechanical engineer and a veteran of the USAF. I am absolutely devoted to life, liberty, the rights of the individual and the Constitution of the United States of America.'
Hakken lamented that 'things here in Florida have not added up for quite some time,' and emphasized the importance of 'maintaining open communication lines for ideas, observations and news...if the "good guys" are to be successful in surviving to maintain the fight of ideas.'
The couple own a home in the Virginia Park area south of Palma Ceia, where neighbors described them as a normal, average family. While Robert Lucas said the Hakkens were not overly outgoing, that did not seem like bad people.
However, neighbor Lindsay Fleming recalled that one time, the parents were puffing on marijuana joints outside their home with their toddler sons nearby.