AOL news- The 9-year-old Pennsylvania girl whose mother is accused of staging an elaborate abduction hoax -- while secretly taking her daughter to Disney World -- spoke out for the first time Monday.Julia Rakoczy, here in an undated photo, appeared on 'Good Morning America' with her father and older sister. She said her trip to the theme park with her mom was "normal" and "fun."
The case started to make headlines last week after Bonnie Sweeten phoned 911 on May 26 from downtown Philadelphia and told dispatchers that she and her daughter had been carjacked and stuffed in the trunk of a Cadillac near their suburban home. The call prompted a frantic search.
But the investigation took a strange turn when officials discovered inconsistencies in Sweeten's story and when she and her daughter were seen on surveillance video boarding a plane to Florida.
The case started to make headlines last week after Bonnie Sweeten phoned 911 on May 26 from downtown Philadelphia and told dispatchers that she and her daughter had been carjacked and stuffed in the trunk of a Cadillac near their suburban home. The call prompted a frantic search.
But the investigation took a strange turn when officials discovered inconsistencies in Sweeten's story and when she and her daughter were seen on surveillance video boarding a plane to Florida.
The search for them ended May 27 when they were found at a Disney World hotel.
Sweeten was arraigned on misdemeanor charges of identity theft and false reporting. She was released on $100,000 bail Saturday and is expected to face a formal arraignment in a month or two in Pennsylvania.
Sweeten was arraigned on misdemeanor charges of identity theft and false reporting. She was released on $100,000 bail Saturday and is expected to face a formal arraignment in a month or two in Pennsylvania.
In their first interview, Julia, her sister Paige and her father Tony Rakoczy talked to 'Good Morning America' about the ordeal.
"We talk a little bit about it ... [Julia] tells us a little bit more and we kind of process the whole thing," Rakoczy, Sweeten's ex-husband said. "We're kind of taking it slow. We're trying to make sure these guys [Julia and Paige] are doing fine ... their mother doing what she did ... it's just hard."
Rakoczy also asked that authorities cut Sweeten "a little bit of a break."
"This whole media hype, it's not the person that she is," he said. "I've known her for 20 years."
Read more about the case on ABCNews.com.
1 comment:
Rakoczy also asked that authorities cut Sweeten "a little bit of a break." "This whole media hype, it's not the person that she is," he said.
Well, me bucko, she had $$$$ in her eyes for the media hype when she emerged the hero with a harrowing tale of escape IMHO. It IS a little hard to blame her though. Consider the media making (money-grubbing) alleged celebrities out of whackjobs like the OctoMom and the Anthony's. No sh*t it is small wonder she wanted a slice of that pie.
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