Missing infant safely returned by caregiver to family in Ermita
A seven-month-old baby was safely returned to her mother after being allegedly kidnapped in Ermita, Manila.
The Manila Police District (MPD) said that the baby was returned on Sunday, Feb. 18, after it went missing on Friday, Feb. 16.
According to the mother of the baby, she went to Bocobo Police Community Precinct (PCP) on Friday to report that her baby girl went missing at Plaza Ferguzon Street in Barangay 667 in Ermita, Manila.
She said she asked her father to take care of her daughter while she was at work.
At 3 p.m., her father called her to tell her that the baby had gone missing.
A follow-up operation was conducted in Norzagaray, Bulacan, on Saturday, Feb. 17, after the family received a message from a certain Jenny Fernandez saying that the baby was in her custody in Bulacan.
The mother of the baby confirmed that Fernandez was the one who took her daughter.
However, police were unable to locate the suspect in Bulacan.
They received another message from Fernandez to meet her in Baclaran instead to get their baby.
Together with MPD, the family went to Baclaran, and the baby was safely returned.
Fernandez voluntarily went with the police to clarify her name, saying she had no plans to take the baby.
She said it was the grandfather who told her to take the baby because he said that he was tired of taking care of the baby.
But the baby's grandfather said he met the suspect at Ferguzon Street and they had a conversation.
He noted that the suspect convinced him to leave the baby with her while he went to the comfort room.
He said that when he returned to the area, the suspect and the baby were nowhere to be found.
The authorities said that the mother of the baby will not file a case against Fernandez.