aimefisher

I know the father of this child; not very well but I know the whole area of CT is CELEBRATING right now!!!!!!!!

By Lisa McGinley - More Articles
Published on 07/26/2002


Waterford — Bonnie Rubenstein, who disappeared almost five years ago from her Waterford home with her son, Randy, was arrested by the FBI Thursday night in Miami.

A jubilant Jeffrey Rubenstein, who took his search for his son nationwide and into the media, got a telephone call Thursday night from an FBI agent in New Haven.

The agent told him that Bonnie Rubenstein was in federal custody in Florida and the FBI also had his son, Randy, now 8, in their custody.

“I'm in shock,” Rubenstein said just after midnight today. “I'm speechless. It's been nearly five years where the phone has rung....It caught me totally off guard.”

Detective Harry Boardsen of Mystic, who has assisted the Rubenstein family with the search, was with Rubenstein and his parents, Sam and Phylaine Rubenstein, of Waterford, Thursday night.

Boardsen said the family had little information other than the fact that the two had been found and taken into custody.

On Aug. 25, 1997, Rubenstein's ex-wife, Bonnie, took their son and disappeared when it seemed as though a custody battle in New London Superior Court wasn't going her way. Before long, mother and child had worked their way into a vast international network known as Children of the Underground, then operated by Faye Yager, a former Atlanta resident who calls herself a children's rights advocate.

Jeffrey and Bonnie were married on June 21, 1992. But the marriage began to disintegrate for a variety of reasons and Rubenstein filed for divorce in March 1996. In September 1997 he was awarded full custody of Randy.

Bonnie fled the day a judge ordered Waterford police to go to her residence and physically remove Randy, Rubenstein said.

Soon after their disappearance, Bonnie hooked up with Yager in Atlanta and, for the first time, she alleged that Rubenstein had physically and sexually abused their son. Rubenstein learned of those allegations in June 1998, on a day when he was in Norwich Superior Court to file a lawsuit against Elaine Dembroff, Bonnie's mother, for aiding in the flight.

Boardsen said the family was awaiting further information from the FBI.

Day staff writer Carol McCarthy contributed to this report.

Sweetberries

that's wonderful!!!

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"If you're gonna be two-faced at least make one of them pretty."
— Marilyn Monroe

lovechild

That is an awesome story

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Signature?? What signature??

tina z

That is wonderful news!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you aime!!!!

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My new name is Nanna, Abby says so.

Our GOD is an awesome GOD

Widgetsx3

Yeah! Good news for a change!!!

Gotcha Tina!

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"If sometimes you feel yourself little, useless, offended and depressed, always remember that you were once the fastest and most victorious sperm out of hundreds of millions."

If Barbie is so popular, how come you have to buy all her friends????

DeeTee

A big thumbs up for justice! I hope the boy will be okay with the big change in his life.

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In memory of my friend Becky B. who died from breast cancer. I can still hear her say "early detection, early detection, early detection"..........

janelle

That's great. So many parents cry abuse when they aren't winning in court. It's easy to accuse and hard to prove it's false. It would be best if the child had both parents to share custody but some people want to fight. I hope they hold the people responsible in helping this woman steal the child away from the other parent. They should be held liable in any court procedures.

ajksmom

Finally a good ending to a child abduction case!!! If only more of them could end this wonderfully.

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Mom to:
Amanda Michelle 3-4-89
Jessie William 7-14-92
Kali Danielle 10-22-99

aimefisher

THIS IS ONLY A SMALL PART OF THE ARTICLE. I WON'T POST THE WHOLE THING BECAUSEIT WOULD TAKE UP 2 PAGES. ANYONE WANTING TO READ THE WHOLE STORY CAN GO TO www.theday.com IT IS ON THE FIRST PAGE



Waterford — Today is the day the Rubenstein Family has prayed for since Aug. 25, 1997, when Bonnie Rubenstein took her young son from his father and began an underground odyssey that ended Thursday with her arrest in Florida.

Randy Rubenstein, 8 years old, is home.

Still in shock over news that FBI agents had safely recovered his abducted son and arrested his ex-wife in Delray Beach, Fla., Jeffrey Rubenstein began on Friday to consider how he will greet his only child, whom he hasn't seen in almost five years.

“First, I'll hug him,” said Rubenstein.

But anxious as he is to embrace his son, Rubenstein will have to move carefully. Reunions of this kind are never simple. And because Bonnie made allegations of child abuse against Jeffrey, which were never substantiated, no one knows quite how the boy feels about his father.

Randy was flown back to Connecticut from Miami late Friday night with his uncle, Rick Rubenstein, Jeffrey's brother. The boy was put in the custody of the state Department of Children and Families.

Rick Rubenstein had gone down to Florida early Friday morning to be with the boy. He was the only family member who had seen Randy as of 11 p.m. Friday.