Yacht Stealing Kidnapper Gets Bad News in Court

It appears there will be no legal breaks for Christopher Maffei, the man accused of kidnapping his kids and taking them on a multi-day excursion on a stolen yacht last September.

At the time of the kidnapping, worked as a nurse at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

In San Mateo Superior Court on Monday, a preliminary hearing was held for Maffei's case.

The defense had previously requested that all charges be reduced from felonies to misdemeanors. Maffei is being charged with 8 felony counts including two kidnapping, two child stealing, two child endangerment and one possession of the stolen boat.

Corporal Fahmida Murphy and Detective Matthew Nichol testified in court at the hearing, while the defense did not present any evidence, according to San Mateo County District Attorney's Office notes.

The court also decided not to lift orders keeping Maffei from contacting his kids either through phone or letters. 

On Sept. 4, Maffei arrived at his ex-wife's South San Francisco home, got past his kids' grandmother and took his two sons. They went to the Alameda Marina and boarded a stolen boat. A commercial fisherman out of Pillar Point Harbor reported seeing a yacht 50 miles off the coast of Half Moon Bay that fit the description. Maffei remained at sea for three days until they ran out of gas and food near Monterey Bay, where the children where rescued. 

Maffei remains in custody on $500,000 bail.

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