A New Jersey man has been charged with stalking and attempting to kidnap his ex-girlfriend at a Downriver church on Christmas.
George Mandarakas, 36, was federally charged with one count of attempted kidnapping after his plan to abduct his 27-year-old ex-girlfriend was thwarted with help from friends and her family, a FBI criminal complaint states.
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According to federal authorities, Mandarakas met his ex-girlfriend in 2019 at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. The man claimed to be a student there, and the pair maintained a relationship for four and a half years.
However, in early October 2023, the ex-girlfriend -- whose identity was not revealed -- discovered that Mandarakas was lying about his age and ended their relationship, cutting off contact with him. Officials say Mandarakas drove from his home in New Jersey to where the woman was, in Trenton, Michigan, and got a hotel room there the same day.
According to the criminal complaint filed on Dec. 28, 2023, Mandarakas began stalking his ex-girlfriend while in Michigan. He repeatedly tried contacting her over the phone, and they met in person once, when she reiterated that she didn’t want a relationship with Mandarakas anymore, officials say.
Mandarakas tried to stop his ex-girlfriend from leaving during that encounter, but she was able to get away.
The New Jersey man then appeared outside of a salon in Woodhaven as the ex-girlfriend was leaving on Nov. 22, 2023. She was confused because she “had not had contact with him in almost two months,” the complaint said. He tried to hug, kiss, and propose to her and stop her from leaving, but she was able to drive away.
That same day, Mandarakas showed up to a tavern in Woodhaven that the woman was patronizing with her friends, officials said. He ultimately left, but still messaged her saying he wouldn’t stop until he had her back and married her.
The woman then received gifts in the mail from Mandarakas in December. One of the postages showed the package was sent from Trenton, the complaint said.
How the kidnapping plan was foiled
Mandarakas was reportedly in contact with an old friend while everything was going on. During their conversations, Mandarakas mentioned several times a podcast he was listening to in which a man kidnapped his girlfriend and took her to Mexico, and said their situation worked out in the end.
Despite the friend trying to discourage any such behavior, Mandarakas reportedly said he didn’t care if he went to jail. He also said that “if he could not be with [his ex-girlfriend], no one can,” the complaint reads.
The friend reached out to the ex-girlfriend to express concern that Mandarakas might hurt her or kidnap her and take her to Mexico, like in the podcast he had been listening to. On Dec. 24, 2023, the woman reached out to a family member who is a private detective. The family member advised her to search her vehicle for a tracking device that might’ve been placed by Mandarakas.
That day, the woman found a tracking tile taped to her vehicle on the inside of the driver’s side bumper.
On Christmas Day, the woman took her car to St. Joseph’s Church in Trenton, where she regularly attends. She left her vehicle in the parking lot and sat in a different vehicle, waiting to see if Mandarakas would arrive.
Officials said he arrived at the church soon after that, and went inside for about 20 minutes. He came back outside and was believed to be looking to see if his ex-girlfriend’s car was still there.
Mandarakas was stopped by police, and told them that he was at the church because his ex-girlfriend goes there, and that he has no other affiliation with Trenton aside from her. Mandarakas was then arrested for stalking.
What police found
Authorities searched his vehicle, which was a rental car with a Florida license plate, and found “a large quantity of U.S. and Canadian currency, multiple cellphones, 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,” the complaint reads. A supply list was also present, identifying a number of supplies needed such as water, food and antibiotics.
Mandarakas’ registered vehicle was later located in Woodhaven. In that car, police found a gun, ammunition, handcuffs, rope, a knife, a stun gun, a field dressing kit, and a tarp.
Mandarakas was charged with one count of attempted kidnapping, which carries a punishment of up to 20 years in prison. He was due back in court on Wednesday, Jan. 3.