Sweeten Charged After "Abduction" Hoax

[J9]

I don't if any of you heard about this, but it's pretty freaky. I had heard about this on the Orlando news this morning, but they were still treating it as a kidnapping and abduction of the two at that time.

The freaky thing is that I live about 5 minutes from Feasterville, PA, and I was at the Grand Floridian about an hour before this all went down.

From NBC10 Philadelphia:

What began as a bizarre abduction report that set off a massive local, state and federal search for a Pennsylvania mom and her daughter turned out to be an elaborate hoax.

Bonnie Sweeten, 38 of Bucks County, was taken into custody at the Grand Floridian hotel on the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort outside Orlando, Fla. at 8:40 p.m. Wednesday, Bucks County district attorney Michelle Henry said.

She was charged with making false reports and identity theft -- the charges are misdemeanors. Police placed her daughter Julia Rakoczy, 9, into protective care. Anthony Rakoczy, the girl's biological father, will be traveling to Florida to retrieve his daughter.

Officials believe Sweeten approached a co-worker earlier this week and asked to borrow the woman's drivers license. She told the woman she needed the ID to take care of something related to a pension plan.

Sweeten then bought tickets for her and her daughter using the co-workers identification, prosecutors said. Surveillance video captured the woman and her daughter boarding an airplane at Philadelphia International Airport bound for Orlando, Fla. around 4:15 p.m. Tuesday afternoon, officials said. The two were alone when they boarded the plane. FBI officials noted that Rakoczy did not need to provide identification to board the plane because she is a child.

Investigators also found that the woman made various bank withdraws throughout the week totaling around $12,000.

Officials plan to extradite Sweeten back to Bucks County, but could not set a timeline.

HOW IT BEGAN

This story began Tuesday afternoon when the Philadelphia 911 dispatch center received a call from a woman who claimed to have been kidnapped and locked in the trunk of a car.

Sweeten told dispatchers that she and her daughter Julia had been physically hit and thrown into the back of a dark-colored 1990's Cadillac by two black men after they rear-ended her silver GMC Yukon Denali in Southampton, Pa. When police got to scene at Street Road and Second Street Pike, they didn't find any evidence and were not able to find anyone who saw an accident, FBI Special Agent J.J. Klaver said.

Officials traced Sweeten's call to a cell tower in the 200 block of 12th Street in Philadelphia. Police searched the area for both cars at that point and didn't find either. 911 operators took more than half a dozen calls from Sweenten's cell phone Tuesday afternoon, but were only able to speak with the woman twice, police sources said. Soon after the last call was received Sweeten's phone was shut off.

Almost 12-hours later at 1:30 a.m., a Philly police officer discovered Sweeten's silver GMC Yukon Denali around at 15th and Chestnut Streets in Center City. The truck was found just five blocks from where police first traced the mother's frantic cell phone call Tuesday.

Ironically, there was a parking ticket on the windshield with a time stamp of 2:20 p.m., police said. There was no sign of damage to the truck, prosecutors said.

As the inconstancies in the woman's story continued to mount Wednesday, officials continued to treat the case as a kidnapping. Pennsylvania State Police issued two Amber Alerts for the little girl as FBI officials turned their focus to surveillance video near the scene where the SUV was found. It seems they also turned their attention to the airport.

A HUSBAND'S PLEA

This case has put Sweeten's family, friends and the entire Philadelphia region on an emotional roller coaster. Her husband Richard Sweeten made an emotional plea to his wife Wednesday afternoon.

"I don't know what’s going on Bon, but here's your daughter…she misses you," said Sweeten with a rocky voice while holding his youngest daughter Faith up to a TV camera. "You have a ton of support. Whatever kind of trouble you're in, whatever's going on everybody will come together and help you out. I'm here for you. We have a brand-new daughter who needs her Mom. Please come home and turn yourself in and don't do anything stupid."

When asked if there was any reason why his wife would flee to Florida said he had "no idea." Sweeten noted that he was finding most of the information on his wife and step-daughter's whereabouts through the local news.

THE EFFECTS

Sweeten, who lives in Feasterville, is a married mother of three girls. She was driving her husband Richard's SUV to a doctor's appointment at the time of the abduction.

Richard is Julia's stepfather. Julia's biological father Anthony Rakoczy had nothing but good things to say about his ex-wife, "She's a great mother. She's very organized. Always on top of the stuff the girls have going on…She's just a very good mother."

Rakoczy made a plea for their return on national television Wednesday morning during an interview on The Today Show.

"I would like to tell them to let them go there's no reason to keep them I don't understand why they'd want to keep them. Just let them go. I mean, you know, we don't have money," said Anthony Rakoczy. He had a hard time keeping his composure as he talked about his daughter Julia, who he'd just spent Memorial Day with, "She loves the Phillies. She plays softball. She's always dancing around the house."

Sweeten's oldest daughter, Paige, 15, wrote about the kidnapping on her Facebook page saying, "I'm asking everyone, to please pray for my Mom and sister pray please."

Now, the burning question is what would cause Sweeten concoct such a story and flee.

Investigators are looking into possible domestic and financial problems within the Sweeten family, but would not elaborate citing the open investigation.

[Posterchild]

That is a wild story, and I had to re-read it to figure out if I got the story right. She was able to buy plane tickets and check into the GF with just her co-workers Drivers License?

Maybe she did some other id stealing stuff too...

I am glad its ending well, nobody got hurt. Imagine if when everyone "flipped out" all they did was take a trip to Disneyworld, the world would be a much better place. Although we may see a rise in room rates.

[VWL Mom]

First, I'm glad the little girl is safe. I had been watching this story since the original "abduction" and knew something didn't seem right.

I am not thrilled that she got onto an airplane using a coworker's photo ID. TSA should probably look into that!

The coworker claims she thought she was only using the ID for her pension plan - regardless of the intent it is still an attempt to defraud. I have a feeling the coworker may have gotten a few bucks.

[brownie]

If she looked very similar to the picture on the driver's license, it probably wouldn't have raised any flags.

[Ian]

I knew this was a sham almost from the word go. The entire story didn't add up.

I live like 30 minutes from where she claimed this occurred and I know that, at the time she said it happened, it's super-busy. There's no way you could get abducted into the trunk of a car without someone seeing it happen.

This really irritates me. All this time and money wasted searching for this nut ... they need to lock her up and throw away the key.

[Dsnygirl]

Holy moly.... I'd only heard bits & pieces about this yesterday. Now, hearing her husband mention a brand-new daughter.... I wonder if there's some kind of postpartum depression/psychosis going on? I guess for her sake, I hope there is, I can't imagine any other reason that a previously sane & well-thought of mother of 3 would lose it that way. I seriously hope they figure out what happened!!

[MOJoe]

Well, she is obviously a Disney fanatic, which is nothing that anyone on these boards can condemn.
BUT..........with such a poorly thought out plan, she must be a member of some other Disney Fan Site.

[d_m_n_n]

Well, she is obviously a Disney fanatic, which is nothing that anyone on these boards can condemn.
BUT..........with such a poorly thought out plan, she must be a member of some other Disney Fan Site.

On a serious note though, I don't know what this woman was thinking. Hopefully, if she needs some sort of help she will find it...

[wishiniwasthere]

Well, if the boss won't give you the time off, you can always fake an abduction! Anything to get to Disney World!

Seriously though, the woman obviously is going through some major issues. I feel sorry for the girl.

[2Epcot]

I heard this story when it first happened, and also did not believe it for one moment. There seems to be two or three of these stories every year where a woman claims to be kidnapped. Chances are if you are kidnapped you will either escape, or you will never be heard of again. Working in media for more then 20 years there is almost never an in between. To be calling claiming you were kidnapped is almost always a red flag that something isn't right.

[MarkC]

I can't believe anyone would loan their driver's license to someone and not have problems down the road because of it. What was that person thinking???

[princessgirls]

WOW...

I saw this story on the Today Show. Sounds like this woman snapped.

Too bad she had to drag her child and WDW into it. I'm not sure what her motive could have been at all. A lot of drama for no reason.

I will pray for this family, who obviously could use it.

Julie

[joonyer]

Why would anyone give anyone else their Drivers' license? even if you know them?. There is no good reason that anyone should give anyone else their ID or other personal financial information. I'll bet the co-worker knew what she was planning. and was willing to help her get away.

A poorly, poorly thought out plan. I always ask "what was she thinking" and as usual, the answer is "she wasn't".

I have to give law enforcement kudos though, they tracked her down. I wonder if she told anyone back home where she was, or if they just found out where the flight was going and starting checking hotels.

[Ian]

I have to give law enforcement kudos though, they tracked her down. I wonder if she told anyone back home where she was, or if they just found out where the flight was going and starting checking hotels.

From what I understand, they ferreted out the story of the borrowed driver's license and then used that to track her to the flight.

At that point, I guess it was relatively simple to run her down.

What's sort of shocking about this story is that she was able to use a borrowed driver's license and pay cash for a last minute ticket and still get on a plane!! Paying cash for a last minute ticket is like the single biggest red flag for the TSA ... I can't believe she was still able to get on a plane!

Then again, given that TSA is a governmental entity, that may not be that surprising.

I'm not sure what her motive could have been at all. A lot of drama for no reason.

Local media is reporting that she's possibly been embezzling funds (like hundreds of thousands of dollars) from a local attorney. She may have been afraid they were on to her, so she took off.

[Stu29573]

Local media is reporting that she's possibly been embezzling funds (like hundreds of thousands of dollars) from a local attorney. She may have been afraid they were on to her, so she took off.

I can understand going to Mexico, but WDW? Maybe she was planning on hiding out in the World Showcase (do they extradite?)

[luvmyboys4ever]

Local media is reporting that she's possibly been embezzling funds (like hundreds of thousands of dollars) from a local attorney. She may have been afraid they were on to her, so she took off.

It might be worse than that. She was listed as a director and fundraiser for the lawyer's charity.
"She worked with me for 15 years and stole money from my law practice," Carlitz told the newspaper. "She used a (bank) account from the foundation to launder money from the law practice."
If she stole from the lawyer...she stole from the charity the lawyer started.
The lawyer had her law license suspended last year...something's fishy!

[Jimenyfan]

I can understand going to Mexico, but WDW? Maybe she was planning on hiding out in the World Showcase (do they extradite?)

Now that was funny

[joonyer]

Now that was funny

Must be kinda like winning the Super Bowl.

"Hey. I just embezzled thousands of dollars! I'm going to Disney World!

[BluewaterBrad]

Must be kinda like winning the Super Bowl.

"Hey. I just embezzled thousands of dollars! I'm going to Disney World!

Now THAT was funny!!

[Jeri]

I feel very sorry for the little girls dad, her ex-husband. He was on the Today show yesterday and couldn't get more then a few words out with out crying, and begging for the safe return of his daughter.

I think what this woman did was horrible, her oldest daughter was asking people on Facebook to pray for her Mom and sister to be returned safe. What kind of mother does that to her own children, and her childrens father? I don't care if they are not married anymore or not, it is terrible.
I think her ex should get both the older kids.