A woman who allegedly abducted the baby of teenaged girl five days ago after she took her to purchase baby clothes was yesterday refused bail by Acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan.
Marcel La Cruz, 25, of 12 Supply, East Bank Demerara was not required to plead to child stealing when she appeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court.
It is alleged that on December 28 at Georgetown she took away and detained an infant child with intent to deprive the mother.
According to reports, the mother of the child, who is 13 years old, reported to the police that the kidnapper said she was working for an organization which assists less fortunate mothers and had promised to help her. It was around 9 am on Thursday when the kidnapper, who had befriended the teenager while she was hospitalised, turned up at her home and told her that they had to carry the child to Georgetown to take photographs after which further assistance would be given. The woman later escaped with the child.
She had given the girl $1,500 to buy an outfit for the baby at a nearby stall. According to the teen the woman told her that she would need to dress the baby for the photograph since the baby was wearing just a diaper and chemise. By the time the teen returned the woman had disappeared with her child.
Attorney-at-law Sonny Sarwan who appeared for La Cruz told the court that his client was visiting the hospital when the mother of the 13-year-old girl approached her and said the girl could not bring up the baby. His client, he said, gave the woman her address in case she needed assistance. The teen, he said, got in touch with La Cruz and they went out to shop. He said the 13-year-old handed the baby to his client and went to buy something but never returned. He added that La Cruz waited for a long time for the child’s mother to return and when she did not, his client went to the girl’s home to return the child but no one was at home.
His client, he said, then went to her own home. The police arrived and she explained to them what occurred but they told her she had kidnapped the child. He continued that the teen’s mother also has a baby and that the father of the 13-year-old girl’s child had abandoned her. He argued that his client did not want to leave the child on the roadside or abandon the baby. He added that when the police arrived at his client’s home the baby was not hidden away.
“She has two children of her own and she doesn’t want anymore, there was no intention of this defendant to deprive the mother of the child. It’s her humanity that caused her to be where she is,” he argued.
He requested reasonable bail.
Police prosecutor Lloyd Thomas asked that bail be refused saying that La Cruz befriended the mother of the child and had given the girl money to buy clothes so that a photo could be taken. On the girl’s return La Cruz, he said, could not be found and her intention was to steal the child.
La Cruz appeared distressed and cried while her matter was being dealt with.
Her case was transferred to court six for January 29.
