A woman in Riverside, California, has been arrested for allegedly impersonating a nurse and attempting to steal a newborn baby from a hospital maternity ward.
Last Thursday, 23-year-old Jesenea Miron allegedly entered the Riverside University Health System – Medical Center and presented herself as a newly hired nurse to gain access to the “medical unit where newborn infants were kept,” according to Fox 11.
“She allegedly entered a patient’s hospital room and identified herself as a nurse,” reported the outlet. “While inside the patient’s room, she attempted to take their newborn infant. Miron was confronted by hospital staff, who then notified security.”
Miron allegedly fled the hospital before law enforcement could apprehend her. She was later identified by sherriff deputies who then executed an arrest warrant at her place of residence in Moreno Valley. She is currently being held on $1 million bail and has been charged with attempted kidnapping.
A motive has not been presented, but the sheriff’s department said “additional items of evidentiary value were also located inside the residence.”
On Friday night, the hospital said “multiple layers of security” were in place and protected the newborn from being kidnapped even though Miron allegedly stood on the cusp of stealing a newborn from a hospital room.
“Riverside University Health System– Medical Center has multiple layers of security to protect the safety and well-being of patients and staff, and we’re thankful those systems and our vigilant staff were able to thwart this suspect,” the hospital said in a statement.
“We appreciate the swift response from the Sheriff’s Department. We are working with them to investigate how the suspect accessed the patient’s room and interacted with the family. Our security protocols have been reviewed and reinforced, and we have additional sheriff’s deputies on campus,” it added. “We are also working with the family to address their concerns and ensure their emotional well-being.”
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, between 1964 and 2019, 327 children under the age of one have been abducted in the U.S.