Tuesday, January 13, 2009

MARYLAND: The missing East Hanover mother who was located with her two children and arrested Sunday will be heading back to New Jersey after waiving extradition in Maryland court today.

Patricia Schafer appeared before Judge Nancy Purpura of the District Court of Maryland and waived extradition at 1:10 p.m., Prosecutor Robert A. Bianchi said.

"Mrs. Schafer is currently being housed at the Baltimore County Detention Center located in Towson, Maryland pending her return to New Jersey," Bianchi said.

Patricia Schafer, 38, and her children, Jessica, 3, and John, 13, were stopped in their vehicle by Baltimore County police as they exited the Towson Town Center Mall and approached the Baltimore Beltway Interloop at 6:25 p.m.

Detectives from the East Hanover Police Department and Morris County Prosecutor's Office determined that she was in the mall complex, prompting the call to mall security and the Baltimore County police. Mall security followed the vehicle until the Baltimore County police arrived.

Patricia Schafer was charged with interfering with the custody of the children.

Bianchi said that detectives from the Missing Persons Unit and the prosecutor's and sheriff's joint Fugitive Task Force will pick up Schafer in Maryland and return her to the Morris County Jail" as soon as she waived extradition.

She and the children were last seen at the family's home Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. by her husband, Douglas Schafer.

Despite these pending charges, every defendant is presumed innocent, unless and until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt following a jury trial at which the defendant has all of his rights guaranteed by the U.S. and New Jersey Constitutions and relevant state law.