NJ Man Plotted To Kidnap Ex-Girlfriend On Christmas Day, Police Say

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ ? A Morris County man who has been accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend allegedly concocted a plan to kidnap her on Christmas Day, according to new court documents.

George Mandarakas, 36, of Randolph, was arrested on Christmas Day after reportedly installing a tracking device on his ex-girlfriend's car and following it to a church in Trenton, Michigan.

A federal agent claimed in court filings that authorities uncovered a cache of things in his rental car, including a satellite cell phone, weapons, knives, handcuffs, and other items indicating he planned to flee the country.

Mandarakas met the victim at the University of Notre Dame in 2019, claiming to be a student, according to a criminal complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.

They dated for over four years before she found he was lying about his age and ended things in October, FBI agent Paul J. Staso said.

This past October, Mandarakas allegedly drove from his home in New Jersey to Michigan to see the 27-year-old victim. According to the complaint, she agreed to meet him at a park, where she again denied his advances and stated that she did not want any further contact with him.

He tried to block her entry to her vehicle and was still holding on to the door handle as she drove away. "Mandarakas then attempted to run after the vehicle for a short distance," Staso said.

On Nov. 22, Mandarakas approached the victim again at a salon and proposed to her, wedging his body in between the driver?s door and attempting to kiss her before she could drive away, the complaint said.

According to Staso, the victim reportedly did not know how Mandarakas had found her location, as she had not spoken to him in almost two months.

Later that evening, the victim was out with friends at a restaurant when she noticed Mandarakas waiting near the back entrance. According to Staso, the victim told Mandarakas that he needed to go, but he later returned dressed differently.

After once again being told to leave her alone, he sent messages to the victim saying that ?he would not stop until he had her back and that he was going to marry her,? court documents said.

In December, Mandarakas began sending the victim gifts in the mail, including a laptop, old clothing, and a Christmas card.

On Dec. 23, she received a card in the mail from Mandarakas that was postmarked from Trenton, Michigan. Later that evening, she received a missed phone call from an unknown caller, later identified as a friend of Mandarakas, named B.V.

During the investigation, B.V., Mandarakas' former roommate, told police that Mandarakas had been making "odd statements" about kidnapping the victim and fleeing to Mexico, according to the complaint.

"B.V. stated on multiple conversations, Mandarakas would mention a 'Podcast,' where he heard about a guy who kidnapped his girlfriend, took her to Mexico and it all worked out in the end," Staso said.

Mandarakas also allegedly admitted to B.V. that he had been spying on the victim's house and following her car.

On Christmas Eve, B.V. told the victim that he was concerned that Mandarakas was going to kidnap or hurt her.

According to the complaint, later that evening, she checked her car on the recommendation of a family member who works as a private detective and discovered that Mandarakas had hidden a tracking device behind the driver's side bumper of her car.

On Christmas Day, the victim's family drove her car with the tracker to St. Joseph's Church in Trenton, Michigan, where they waited in another vehicle, watching the victim's car for Mandarakas to appear.

A short while later, Mandarakas was seen arriving at the parking lot driving a black Kia Forte bearing Florida license plate QNLC80. Law enforcement later learned that this was a rental car, according to court documents.

Mandarakas was ultimately stopped by police and questioned as to why he was at the church. He stated he was at that church because his former girlfriend of four years normally attended that church.

He further stated that he had no connections to Trenton, Michigan, besides the former girlfriend.

The police then arrested Mandarakas for stalking.

Mandarakas' rental car was inventory searched per policy by the Trenton Police Department and several concerning items were located.

The items consisted of a large quantity of US and Canadian currency, multiple cell phones, an additional Spytec GPS magnetic tracking device, a map of times and distances to sail from Florida to Cuba, and a map to sail from New Jersey to Morocco.

"Also found was a supply list to include supplies for water, food, antibiotics, changing name to ?Josh Tulls? or ?Tully?, a satellite phone, and not activating the phones until 'on the run and left other phone behind,'" according to the complaint.

A key to a Hyundai and a rental slip from a Hertz rental car in Woodhaven were also located in the vehicle, police said.

Law enforcement then located Mandarakas' registered vehicle, a Hyundai Elantra, bearing a New Jersey license plate, in the vicinity of the Hertz Car Rental in Woodhaven.

In that car, authorities found a firearm, ammunition, handcuffs, a rope, knife, stun gun, field dressing kit and tarp with a shipping label addressed to his New Jersey home, according to the federal complaint.

Mandarakas is facing a federal attempted kidnapping charge and he is expected to appear before Magistrate Judge David R. Grand in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan for a detention hearing.