Father Accused of Kidnapping Set to Appear in Court

A man who allegedly kidnapped his two children from South San Francisco and took them aboard a stolen yacht last week is tentatively set to make his initial appearance in court this afternoon, San Mateo County sheriff's officials said.

Christopher Maffei, 43, is tentatively scheduled to be arraigned in San Mateo County Superior Court at 1:30 p.m., sheriff's officials said. However, San Mateo County Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti said prosecutors had not yet filed charges in the case as of this morning.

Maffei remains in custody after being arrested shortly before 8 p.m. Friday in the waters off of the Monterey Peninsula while aboard the yacht "Unleashed," which had been stolen from Ballena Isle Marina in Alameda. Maffei allegedly abducted his two children, ages 2 and 3, at about 3 p.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of James Court in South San Francisco and then drove in a rental car to Alameda where he sailed away with them, police said.

The yacht was spotted about 50 miles off the coast from Pillar Point Harbor in San Mateo County early Friday by the operator of a commercial fishing ship who notified the U.S. Coast Guard. Coast Guard officials sent crews by air and by sea to find the yacht and eventually found Maffei and the two children safe on board the vessel.

Court records show that Maffei's wife on Thursday obtained a temporary restraining order against him and that a hearing on the order is scheduled for Sept. 21.

--Bay City News