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Durham grandmother arrested in Conn. hiding grandson, 4, from boy's father
HOLLIS - A Durham grandmother is under arrest in Connecticut where police said she hid her four-year-old grandson in a custody dispute with his father.
Sandra Thorne, 67, of 10 Watson Road, was arrested on a fugitive from justice charge in Windsor Locks, Conn. late Wednesday night. Hollis police obtained a warrant for her arrest on a class B felony charge of interference with custody.
Hollis police began an investigation after receiving a report of a possible parental kidnapping about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Over the next eight hours, the child was tracked to a hotel in Windsor Locks, where Lt. Richard Mello said he was being concealed by Thorne.
Mello said the initial information received was that the child's mother, whose name he would not release because the investigation is ongoing, took him out of the state, contrary to an order issued in the 9th Circuit Court, Nashua Family Division. Originally, the couple had joint custody of the child, according to Mello.
He said the investigation is continuing and police do not know if the mother was involved in taking the child or hiding him from his father, identified as John Testa. She was not at the hotel when police arrested Thorne, he said.
Police tried to get Thorne to voluntarily turn over the child to law enforcement and, when that failed, she was arrested at the hotel. The child was unharmed and in good condition. He was returned to the custody of his father.
Thorne will appear in a Windsor Locks courtroom today on the fugitive from justice charge. If she waives extradiction, Mello said she will be brought back to New Hampshire later today. If not, he said police will have to obtain a Governor's Warrant to have her returned to the state, which he said could take several days.
Police said additional charges are possible.
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