Hakken Abduction: Grandparents Speak Out

The two young Hakken boys stood outside their home on Thursday giggling and showing off their toys.

The tumultuous ordeal they'd just experienced over the past nine days seemingly not jading their bubbly dispositions.

But Bob Hauser, their grandfather, described the past week as "a nightmare."

"You never expect anything like this to happen, he said.

The Hausers stood with the young boys while addressing a crowd of reporters this morning during a press conference on the front lawn of their Shady Shores Drive home in the Lake Magdalene area of Carrollwood.

They recounted their state of mind during the search for their two grandchildren abducted by their son-in-law last week, how the boys have been coping and their hopes for the future.

"We're going to go back to our normal lives," Bob Hauser said.

A manhunt for the Hakkens began on April 3 after Joshua Hakken, 35, was accused of breaking into his mother-in-law, Patricia Hauser's Carrollwood area home, tying her up and taking his two young children by force.

The ordeal ended on April 9 when the Joshua Hakken, his wife Sharyn, were discovered in Cuba with their young sons. The family was transported back to Tampa where the elder Hakkens were arrested and charged.

The Hakken couple, who gave jail officials a South Tampa address of 3609 S. Sterling Ave., are now behind bars in Hillsborough County Jail without bond.

The Hausers say they chose to address the press to thank law enforcement, the public and the media in their efforts to locate their grandchildren.

"They took such good care of us we feel we made a bunch of new friends," said Patricia Hauser about law enforcement who assisted in the search.

The grandparents said Cole and Chase returned to Tampa healthy despite some bug bites. The youngsters think they were on a sailboat trip.

"They think this was a trip to Cuba," said Larry McKinnon, Hillsborough County Sheriff's spokesman. "They think this was a vacation."

The grandparents have chosen to let the boys lead the conversation when it comes to questions about their trip.

"We have not asked the boys about their journey," Patricia Hauser said. "We're letting them talk as things come up."

The Hausers declined to comment on the fate of their daughter and son-in-law or their plans for the future in terms of adopting Chase and Cole.

On what they will tell the boys as they get older and begin asking questions, Patricia Hauser said, "We haven't gotten that far, but we're sure we'll have professional help."

Read all stories related to the abduction

To keep up with news from around town and nearby, just sign up for the Westchase Patch newsletter.