A woman was arrested in a California hospital on Monday after police say she tried to steal a baby. The case is eerily similar to another case that occurred in Harlem, where the woman stole the baby and kept her for nearly 20 years.
Disguised in scrubs, the woman was caught trying to steal a newborn girl from a Southern California hospital in a tote bag after sensors attached to the baby alerted employees, Garden Grove police said. Had the security measures not been in place, the woman might have gotten away with her crime.
Employees at the hospital were able to stop the kidnapping when a sensor connected to the baby girl alerted them. This system is typical in many hospital wards and is used to help keep track of patients, including newborns, or those with conditions such as Alzheimer’s, which could cause them to wander. The system notifies staff when patients have left a certain perimeter.
“At this point we don’t have a solid reason why she stole the baby,”Lt. Jeff Nightengale said at a press conference.
Authorities say Ramirez posed as a nurse, came into the room of the baby’s mother and told her to take a shower before a doctor came to examine her. The sheer audacity of the crime has police shocked.
Once the mother was out of the room, Ramirez allegedly put the newborn in a purple tie-dyed tote bag and tried to leave.
“An alarm went off when the baby crossed an imaginary line” in the hospital that set off a sensor, Nightengale said.
The baby is now back in the care of her mother.
This is sad. Stealing is really an unlawful act. People should really be cautious with their bags.