Sen. Klobuchar Meets With MN Native Who Was Detained In Russia

MINNEAPOLIS — United States Sen. Amy Klobuchar met in Minneapolis with Tyler Jacob, the Minnesota native who was recently released from Russian custody. Klobuchar also met with Jacob's mother, Tina Hauser.

Jacob — who is from Winona — was taken by Russian soldiers while leaving Ukraine in March. Jacob was detained and held in Russia for 10 days.

He was later reunited with his wife and daughter and has returned to Minnesota.

Also read: 'Helpless Feeling': MN Native Killed In Ukraine Documented War

"I got involved in this, of course, when Tina called our office and said that her son, she hadn’t heard from him, from Tyler for several days and that she knew something was wrong," said Klobuchar in a statement.

"And at first we didn’t know what was going on and so we started making calls and I had just been in Poland at the border and so I knew a lot of the people."

"We got on the phone with Ambassador Sullivan…and I told him about Tyler's case, and he knew about it, because we've been making all these contacts…And he said he was going to go to meet with the Russians…to plead Tyler's case."

Jacob thanked Klobuchar and her Deputy State Director, Clara Haycraft for their efforts to bring him back home.

"Thank you very much for all of the hard work you've both put in. You were responding to text messages and emails at 11, 12 o'clock at night," Jacob said. "I definitely don't believe I would be here if it wasn't for you guys vouching for me."

"It's just a great joy when he walked in the house and knocked on the door and have him come home after all the communication that I've had…with the senator's office, and I am so indebted to these two women to stand behind us like they did and supported us, to have him home," said Jacob’s mother, Tina Hauser.