Crime & Safety
Father Accused of Abduction Appears In Court
The man who allegedly abducted his two toddlers and fled with them on a yacht stolen from Alameda made his first appearance in court Monday afternoon.
Christopher Maffei, the man accused of kidnapping his two young children last week, and boating down the coast to Monterey, spoke out in court Monday.
"My children have been put back in a place where they were abused," he said.
The judge told Maffei to speak with his lawyer and reminded him that everything said in court could be used against him.
Find out what's happening in Alamedawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
No plea was entered; the case was continued to Sept. 17 at 1:30 p.m.
Maffei is in custody now on $500,000 bail, and he is charged with kidnapping and child endangerment.
Find out what's happening in Alamedawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Maffei allegedly abducted his two children, ages 2 and 3, at about 3 p.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of James Court in South San Francisco and then drove in a rental car to Ballena Isle Marina in Alameda where he left on the boat with the kids, police said.
about 50 miles off the coast from Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County early Friday by the operator of a commercial fishing boat who notified the U.S. Coast Guard.
Coast Guard officials sent crews by air and by sea to find the yacht and eventually safe on board the vessel.
Court records show that the mother of the children, Jennifer Hipon, obtained a temporary restraining order against him last Thursday and that a hearing on the order is scheduled for Sept. 21.
Hipon works as a nurse at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.
Bay City News contributed to this report.
