Abducted 8-year-old returned home, mother charged

URIAH A. KISER / Stafford County Sun
Published: March 12, 2008

Carianne McHale, 26, reportedly called authorities from her attorney's office in Spotsylvania informing them she had Jacob in her possession, and she was ready to turn herself in, police said.

"Once we got the call, two Stafford County detectives went to the attorney's office and picked up the child and the mother, Jacob's grandparents we're called, a detective went to pick them up, and the reunion was held right here in our offices," said Bill Kennedy, a spokesman for the Stafford County Sheriff's Office.

Matthew Borowski, 24, McHale's boyfriend and a second suspect in the abduction case, turned himself into authorities Tuesday night.

The ordeal began March 6 at 11 p.m., as McHale, Borowski, and Varun Sethi, 24, allegedly entered Jacob's grandparents' home, assaulted the grandfather, and abducted the child, police said. Jacob's grandparents had maintained legal custody of him since his birth in 1999, police said.

The next day, the Stafford County's Sheriff's Office, the Virginia State Police, and the FBI launched a full-scale search for both the child and his abductors. Jacob's asthmatic condition concerned officials, as he was taken without his nebulizer and prescribed medication.

The first break in the case came Sunday night as Sethi turned himself into authorities, and was charged with abduction, assault and battery, and conspiracy, police said.

The search continued Monday, however, as Jacob and his other two alleged abductors had not been found. Stafford authorities made pictures of Jacob available to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children in hopes the center would turn up leads in the case.

On Monday at 6:30 p.m., police reported Jacob had been returned home, providing a sense or relief for police, according to Kennedy.

"It was just an outstanding team effort between the FBI, The Center for Missing Children, state and local authorities, even the media who played a crucial role in getting this story out there and making the abductors realize the severity of the crime they had committed, forcing them to turn themselves in," Kennedy said.

McHale is said to have had little if any involvement in raising her child, and would often leave Jacob with his grandparents for weeks at a time shortly after his birth, without ever checking on his well being, police said.

"I am very grateful to the many people who, working together, were able to bring a little boy home to his grandparents and catch the people responsible for this very serious crime," said Stafford Sheriff Charles Jett.

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