(WXYZ) — A family helped thwart an alleged kidnapping attempt of a Trenton woman on Christmas Day after reported deceit and stalking from the suspect, according to court documents.
According to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court last month, George Mandarakas claimed to be a student at the University of Notre Dame when he met the victim in 2019.
Mandarakas and the victim reportedly had an over four-year relationship before she ended it in October 2023 after discovering he was lying about his age.
The court document states it was at that time that Mandarakas drove from his home in New Jersey to stay at a hotel in Trenton, Michigan, while sending text messages and calling the victim to get her to meet up. The victim reportedly agreed and met up with Mandarakas, but told him to not contact her again. He allegedly tried to block her path and run after her vehicle.
A month later, Madarakas allegedly approached the victim out of the blue as she was leaving a salon in Woodhaven, reportedly attempting to hug and kiss her as she tried to leave. The criminal complaint says later that evening, he also showed up outside Rivertown Tavern in Trenton where the victim was spending time with her friends. It’s reported that her friends confronted him and told him to leave, only to find he returned later, messaging the victim and telling her “he was going to marry her.”
George Mandarakas Criminal Complaint by WXYZ-TV Detroit on Scribd
The criminal complaint also detailed an interview with a friend of Mandarakas, who said the suspect mentioned a podcast where he heard about a guy who kidnapped his girlfriend and took her to Mexico.
“Mandarakas stated that all things were on the table and that he did not care if he went to jail. Also, Mandarakas said if he could not be with AV-1 (the victim), no one can,” the court document reads.
On Christmas Eve, the friend reportedly warned the victim about Mandarakas alleged plan. That’s when the victim reportedly contacted a relative who was a private investigator and that relative told her to search her vehicle. The criminal complaint states the victim found a Tile tracker on the inside of the driver’s side bumper.
That’s when the family jumped into action. According to court documents, on Christmas, the victim’s family drove her vehicle with the tracking tile to St. Joseph’s Church in Trenton and waited in a separate vehicle. Later, it’s alleged that Mandarakas arrived at the church parking lot and circled the victim’s vehicle, before heading inside the church.
When he emerged from the church, he was stopped by police, questioned and arrested for stalking.
Court documents detail the items later discovered in Mandarakas’s rental vehicle.
“The items consisted of such as a large quantity of US and Canadian currency, multiple cell phones, an additional Spytec GPS magnetic tracking device, a map of times and distance to sail from Florida to Cuba, and a map to sail from New Jersey to Morocco. Also found was a supply list to include supplies for water, food, antibiotics, changing name to ‘Josh Tulls’ or ‘Tully’, a satellite phone, and not activating the phones until ‘on the run and left other phone behind,’” the criminal complaint stated.
In his personal vehicle, feds said they found a firearm, ammunition, handcuffs, rope, a knife, a stun gun, filed dressing kit, and a tarp.
Mandarakas is facing an attempted kidnapping charge. He had a hearing in U.S. District Court on December 29, where he said he missed his daughter, who he said was 2 years old. According to an audio court record of the hearing, he said he planned to attain his own attorney for the case.
Mandarakas has a detention hearing scheduled for Wednesday at 1 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Detroit.
