A Co Cork couple who face charges in Chicago, Illinois, of having kidnapped their nine-year-old grandson in July last year, were arrested at their home yesterday morning on foot of a warrant for their extradition to the United States.
Tim and Ethel Blake featured in widespread media coverage in November last year after their grandson, Dylan Benwell, was returned to his mother, Serena Benwell, in Winthrop Harbor, a suburb of Chicago.
Det Sgt Martin O'Neill told Mr Justice Éamon de Valera that he arrested Mr and Mrs Blake at their home in Lower Midleton Street, Cobh, Co Cork, and brought them to the High Court in Dublin.
The Blakes were released on their own bail of €200 each and remanded to appear before the High Court again on October 11th next to show cause why they should not be extradited to the US. They undertook to surrender their passports and sign on each Tuesday and Friday at Cobh Garda station.
Mr Justice de Valera heard that a request had been made to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, in accordance with the Extradition Act 1965 for the extradition of the Blakes.
The warrant had been issued, alleging that the couple had committed the offence of kidnapping in that they had knowingly and by deceit enticed Dylan to travel to Dublin with them from his Illinois home.
At the time of Dylan's return to the US with his mother last November, Det Sgt Tim Borowski of the Winthrop Harbor police department stated Dylan had allegedly been kidnapped from his Illinois home just days before the Benwell family was due to relocate to Norfolk, Virginia.
This was for the family to be closer to his stepfather, John Benwell, who had a naval posting with the US Atlantic fleet.
Mr and Mrs Blake had helped to take care of Dylan from the age of two weeks after the death of his natural father.
Following the death, Dylan's mother Serena met and later married Mr Benwell of the US Navy and had eventually moved with her youngest children to the US. Dylan lived for two years with his grandparents before joining the family in Illinois.