Woman who claimed to be Madeleine McCann remanded over stalking charges
A woman who has claimed to be Madeleine McCann has been remanded into custody by magistrates after being charged with stalking the parents and siblings of the missing girl by turning up at the family home, leaving voicemails and sending messages.
Julia Wandel, also known as Julia Wandelt, was arrested at Bristol Airport on Wednesday.
Appearing at Leicester Magistrates' Court on Friday, the defendant spoke to say her full name was Julia Wandel 'according to court documents', gave her date of birth and gave no indication as to her pleas.
The 23-year-old is accused of stalking Kate, Gerry, Sean and Amelie McCann between January 3 2024 and February 15 2025.
The court heard Wandel is alleged to have attended the family home on May 2 and December 7 last year.
She is also accused of sending a letter, calls, voicemails and WhatsApp messages to Kate and Gerry McCann.
The court was told the defendant sent Amelie and Sean McCann Instagram messages between January 3 and December 29 last year.
Wandel, who is originally from Poland, was remanded into custody to appear for a plea hearing at Leicester Crown Court on April 7.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
3 hours ago
- New York Post
Sicko, 40, allegedly sported ski mask during twisted encounters with teen he raped, blackmailed for years
A depraved Oregon man allegedly raped a teenage girl he met online — after coercing the youngster into sending explicit photos he used to blackmail her into a four-year string of disturbing trysts, cops said. Seth Michael Winkelhake, 40, was busted Tuesday, months after a tip exposed years of sexual abuse he inflicted on a 13-year-old girl, according to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. The young girl allegedly told police she met the sicko — who called himself Jeff — online in 2018 and started chatting after he lied about his age. But the chats took a twisted turn when she sent the graphic images, which the accused predator used to manipulate her into maintaining contact, cops said. Seth Michael Winkelhake, 40, was arrested Tuesday and charged with first-degree rape and other sexual offenses. Clackamas County Sheriffâs Office The Hillsboro man convinced the girl to meet in person when she turned 16 — and showed up to the perverse rendezvous in Oak Grove with his face concealed with a ski mask or cloth. Deputies said Winkelhake blindfolded the victim before putting her in his car and driving to local parks where he carried out the sick acts — despite her efforts to stop them — from 2021 to 2024. Officials now believe there may be more victims. The alleged perv, who volunteered with local education organizations in the Portland area, is suspected of using Facebook, Instagram and AntiLand, an anonymous chat room, to hunt for young girls online. Cops said he often used fake names like Jeff, Don Jon and Marc to bait his victims, and had a 2018 Nissan Frontier and a 2002 Volkswagen Golf registered in his name. Officials now believe there may be more victims and have made public the cars registered to the accused predator. Clackamas County Sheriffâs Office Winkelhake was arraigned Wednesday on 23 felony and misdemeanor charges, including first-degree rape, third-degree sexual abuse, first-degree encouraging child sex abuse and luring a minor. He is being held without bail at Clackamas County Jail in Oregon City. Anyone with information can call the sheriff's office tip line at 503-723-4949 or submit an online form.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
How did a rumor about an ICE raid on a homeless shelter escalate to Mayor Bass?
At a news conference Thursday, Mayor Karen Bass made a startling claim. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had appeared at a homeless shelter that day, among other sensitive locations in Los Angeles, she said. But what actually happened at the Whitsett West Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood remains murky. The shifting narratives reflect the anxiety of Angelenos amid ICE raids targeting immigrants at Home Depots, churches and retail centers. In L.A., a "sanctuary city" where local officials do not participate in federal immigration enforcement, tensions with the federal government are at an all-time high. After some protests against the raids turned violent, the Trump administration called in the National Guard and the U.S. Marines. With federal officials keeping the city in the dark on immigration enforcement actions, City Council members and the mayor sometimes rely on the rumor mill. ICE's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, quickly responded to Bass' comments, saying they were "false." "[ICE] is not in homeless shelters," the agency wrote on X. "This rhetoric from [the mayor] and California politicians demonizes the brave men and women of law enforcement." The Whitsett West Tiny Home Village, which is on city property and is run by the nonprofit Hope the Mission, has beds for about 150 people in shed-like structures off the 170 Freeway near Whitsett Avenue and Saticoy Street. According to Laura Harwood, Hope the Mission's deputy chief program officer, people in a car tried to get access to the tiny home village on Thursday afternoon, telling security guards that they were American citizens who wanted to see how their taxpayer dollars were being used. The guards did not admit the visitors, who were wearing civilian clothes. "This is a really unusual situation. This really doesn't happen," Harwood said. Other employees saw some men looking into the complex from different sides and taking pictures. A worker at the tiny home village, who requested anonymity because he has family members who are undocumented, told The Times that he was returning from lunch when he spotted two DHS SUVs with tinted windows down the block. Tiny home staffers were concerned enough that they reached out to City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who came to the complex. "We got reports that some ICE agents were around in the area viewing the location from both the front and the backside entryways," Nazarian said on Instagram. Nazarian said that immigration agents appearing at the tiny home village would be a "fear mongering" tactic. The targeting of interim homeless housing could dissuade people from moving off the street, or push those in shelters to leave out of fear, said Rowan Vansleve, Hope the Mission's president. "Last Thursday, ICE entered our city, and provoked the city, by chasing people through Home Depots and car washes and showing up at schools. And today, showing up at emergency rooms and homeless shelters," Bass said at the Thursday press conference. Bass' team confirmed to The Times that she was referring to the incident at the Whitsett West Tiny Home Village. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said that community organizations and local elected officials have been sorting through reports of DHS sightings to see if they are credible. "We have seen situations where people say federal agents are here, and then when someone goes, it turns out they were never there or were gone an hour ago," Hernandez said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
5 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
How did a rumor about an ICE raid on a homeless shelter escalate to Mayor Bass?
At a news conference Thursday, Mayor Karen Bass made a startling claim. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had appeared at a homeless shelter that day, among other sensitive locations in Los Angeles, she said. But what actually happened at the Whitsett West Tiny Home Village in North Hollywood remains murky. The shifting narratives reflect the anxiety of Angelenos amid ICE raids targeting immigrants at Home Depots, churches and retail centers. In L.A., a 'sanctuary city' where local officials do not participate in federal immigration enforcement, tensions with the federal government are at an all-time high. After some protests against the raids turned violent, the Trump administration called in the National Guard and the U.S. Marines. With federal officials keeping the city in the dark on immigration enforcement actions, City Council members and the mayor sometimes rely on the rumor mill. ICE's parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security, quickly responded to Bass' comments, saying they were 'false.' '[ICE] is not in homeless shelters,' the agency wrote on X. 'This rhetoric from [the mayor] and California politicians demonizes the brave men and women of law enforcement.' The Whitsett West Tiny Home Village, which is on city property and is run by the nonprofit Hope the Mission, has beds for about 150 people in shed-like structures off the 170 Freeway near Whitsett Avenue and Saticoy Street. According to Laura Harwood, Hope the Mission's deputy chief program officer, people in a car tried to get access to the tiny home village on Thursday afternoon, telling security guards that they were American citizens who wanted to see how their taxpayer dollars were being used. The guards did not admit the visitors, who were wearing civilian clothes. 'This is a really unusual situation. This really doesn't happen,' Harwood said. Other employees saw some men looking into the complex from different sides and taking pictures. A worker at the tiny home village, who requested anonymity because he has family members who are undocumented, told The Times that he was returning from lunch when he spotted two DHS SUVs with tinted windows down the block. Tiny home staffers were concerned enough that they reached out to City Councilmember Adrin Nazarian, who came to the complex. 'We got reports that some ICE agents were around in the area viewing the location from both the front and the backside entryways,' Nazarian said on Instagram. Nazarian said that immigration agents appearing at the tiny home village would be a 'fear mongering' tactic. The targeting of interim homeless housing could dissuade people from moving off the street, or push those in shelters to leave out of fear, said Rowan Vansleve, Hope the Mission's president. 'Last Thursday, ICE entered our city, and provoked the city, by chasing people through Home Depots and car washes and showing up at schools. And today, showing up at emergency rooms and homeless shelters,' Bass said at the Thursday press conference. Bass' team confirmed to The Times that she was referring to the incident at the Whitsett West Tiny Home Village. City Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez said that community organizations and local elected officials have been sorting through reports of DHS sightings to see if they are credible. 'We have seen situations where people say federal agents are here, and then when someone goes, it turns out they were never there or were gone an hour ago,' Hernandez said.
