For Immediate Release September  10, 2007  

                                             
Contact: Corey Welford/Meredith Lerner  617-679-6522

Lynn Woman Found Guilty Of Marlborough Kidnapping
Kidnapping Triggered Commonwealth’s Amber Alert System

CAMBRIDGE – Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone’s office informed the public today that a Lynn woman has been convicted of the kidnapping of two children that resulted in the activation of the Commonwealth’s Amber Alert system in November 2005. 

Cathleen Trotta, age 37, of Lynn, was found guilty today by a Middlesex Superior Court jury on charges of kidnapping (2 counts), home invasion, kidnapping and endangering of a minor by a relative, and one count of violating a restraining order. She was found not guilty on charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and one count of violating a restraining order.  Trotta will be sentenced by Middlesex Superior Court Judge Kenneth Fishman on Friday, September 21, at 9:30 a.m. in Courtroom 6A.

“Cathleen Trotta placed both of these children in extreme danger and clearly was intent on illegally taking her biological daughter out of the country,” District Attorney Leone said. “The initial hours are critical to finding and recovering a kidnapped child, and the fact that these two children were found so quickly is a credit to the state’s Amber Alert system and the excellent police work done by the Marlborough Police, Malden Police and Massachusetts State Police.”

According to the charges brought, on Monday, November 7, 2005, at approximately 2:30 p.m., Cathleen Trotta and Dennis Piper were alleged to have approached the Marlborough residence of Rebecca Borey.  Borey and her husband were foster parents to Elizabeth and Grace Trotta.  Piper then allegedly held Borey and her 18-year-old daughter against their will in the residence.  Trotta at that time kidnapped Grace Trotta, her biological daughter, and Christian Borey, the biological son of Borey, who both had been playing outside.  Borey’s 18-year-old daughter was able to get up to her bedroom where her mother told her to lock herself in her room and call the police, which she did.  Piper allegedly fled the scene separately in Borey’s vehicle which was later found in the parking lot of a local Dunkin’ Donuts. 

Once the Marlborough Police responded to the daughter’s 911 call, they began searching for Trotta, Piper and the children.  An Amber Alert was issued for Cathleen Trotta, Dennis Piper, Grace Trotta, and Christian Borey. 

That evening, Christian Borey was found safe in Malden, where Trotta and Piper had dropped him off at a friend’s house.  After dropping Christian off, Trotta and Piper then allegedly drove via taxi with Grace to Logan Airport.  While in the taxi, Grace announced her “real name,” but said that her “pretend name” was Melody. Trotta then began to speak loudly to keep the taxi driver from hearing the Amber Alert being broadcast repeatedly over the radio in the taxi. She then made the driver turn off the radio.

Upon arrival at the airport, Trotta and Piper discovered that they had missed their flight to the Bahamas with the next flight not scheduled until the following morning. Trotta and Piper took Grace and checked into the Embassy Suites Hotel near the airport.  Piper, while outside buying cigarettes, allegedly witnessed the Massachusetts State Police approaching the scene and fled to his home in Lynn via subway.

Later that evening, State Police located Cathleen and Grace Trotta at the hotel.  Cathleen Trotta had concealed Grace in a suitcase in the hotel room. Cathleen Trotta was placed under arrest and Grace was then returned safely to her foster parents’ custody. 

On Tuesday, November 8, 2005, Trotta was arraigned in Marlborough District Court. Her bail was revoked on an unrelated open case.  Later that afternoon, Piper was arrested in Lynn.  He was arraigned on Wednesday, November 9, 2005 in Marlborough District Court.  At a subsequent bail hearing, he was ordered held on $35,000 cash bail and his bail was revoked on an unrelated open case.

A Middlesex Grand Jury returned indictments against Trotta and Piper on December 6, 2005.  Trotta’s Superior Court Arraignment was January 10, 2006 and Piper’s was December 8, 2005.  They both were held without bail.

Trotta was found guilty of these charges today by the jury.

Piper’s trial is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning in Cambridge Superior Courtroom 6A, and is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Suzanne Kontz.  The victim witness advocate was Kara Grant.

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