Carrollwood Amber Alert Details Emerge

On Tuesday, April 2 Joshua Michael Hakken lost custody of his two young sons.

On Wednesday, Hakken, 35, broke into his mother-in-law's home, tied her up and kidnapped the boys before most people got to work.

The kidnapping incident is currently being investigated by Hillsborough County Sheriff's officials who have Hakken is considered armed and dangerous, according to authorities.

"We do feel they are in danger," said Cpl. Kevin Bodie, with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office during a press conference on Wednesday.

Joshua Hakken is described as being about 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs about 175 pounds. He has brown hair and eyes. The boy's mother, Sharyn Hakken, is 5-foot 4-inches tall and weighs an estimated 150 pounds. It is not clear if Sharyn Hakken was involved in the abduction, Bodie said.

The Amber Alert from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, however, states that she may be with her husband and sons.

"We know who the mom is but (we're) uncertain if she has anything to do with this (abduction)," Bodie said.

It was around 6:30 a.m. when Joshua Hakken broke into his mother-in-law, Patricia Hauser's home located at 14040 Shady Shores Drive in the Lake Magdalene area of Carrollwood.

Once inside he tied her up with zip strips. He then took the children and left in Hauser’s 2009 silver Toyota Camry, according to a sheriff’s office media release.

Hauser's Toyota was later found. And deputies say it’s possible the children are now being transported in a black 2006 GMC pickup truck registered to Joshua Hakken. The pickup has the Florida tag number of U95KT.

This wasn't Hakken's first brush with the law. He was arrested on June 17, 2012 in Slidell, La., for "possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of a minor," according to NOLA.com

Hakken's lost custody of his sons following the arrest. The boys were placed in foster care in Louisiana. Hakken had unsuccessfully tried to abduct the boys by gunpoint from foster care, Bodie said during Wednesday's press conference.

Chase and Cole were then placed in the custody of their grandmother in Tampa.

"Yesterday the (Hakken's) parental rights had been dissolved in Louisiana," Bodie said during the press conference.

Hakken and his wife Sharyn both resided in Tampa and had ties to "anti-government" groups. Hakken is an engineer that has his own business in South Tampa, Bodie said.

"Keep your eyes open," Bodie said as a caution to the community. "If you happen to see the pickup truck, call 911."

Wednesday afternoon sheriff's deputies flanked the front of Hauser's home. The normally quiet Lake Magdalene neighborhood of large homes and manicured homes buzzed with news of the abduction.

"Nobody is immune to bad things," said CeeCee Lane, who has lived in the neighborhood for more than 20 years. "It happens everywhere."

See Also:

Amber Alert Issued for Brothers Abducted from Carrollwood Area

‘Anti-Government’ Parents Abduct Children from Lake Magdalene Home