Cuba Hands Over Hakken Family to US

Boys head back to grandparents, mom and dad cool heels in jail
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 10, 2013 7:13 AM CDT
Cuba Hands Over Hakken Family to US
This undated image provided by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office shows four-year-old Cole Hakken.   (AP Photo/Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)

The Hakken family is back on US soil this morning, after Cuba handed the foursome over to US custody without ado. Josh and Sharyn Hakken, accused of abducting their two sons and sailing off to the island nation, are sitting in a Florida jail; they face charges including kidnapping, grand theft auto, and child neglect, CNN reports. While in Cuba, Josh Hakken freely told CNN who he was, and authorities weren't sure how they would get the family back to the US. "We would like to express our appreciation to the Cuban authorities for their extensive cooperation to resolve this dangerous situation quickly," says a US spokeswoman.

Cole, 4, and Chase, 2, will soon be reunited with their maternal grandparents and their dog. Bob and Patricia Hauser have had legal custody of the boys since the Hakkens' parental rights were terminated earlier this month after authorities responded to a disturbance at a hotel and found the family. The Hakken parents "were acting in a bizarre manner that alarmed officers," the police report says. "They were talking about 'completing their ultimate journey' and were traveling across the country to 'take a journey to the Armageddon'," and there were drugs and weapons in the room. Bob Hauser thanked Cuba "for being so cooperative and returning the kids." (More Cuba stories.)

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