Police: Woman Tried To Sneak Newborn Baby Out Of Garden Grove Hospital In Tote Bag

GARDEN GROVE (CBSLA.com) — Police say a woman was arrested Monday after taking a newborn infant from a mother as they lay in bed and trying to take her out of the hospital in a large tote bag.

Police officers were sent to the Garden Grove Medical Center at about 10 a.m. Monday to investigate the attempted kidnapping of a newborn baby girl.

The suspect, 48-year-old Grisel Ramirez, posed as a hospital employee when she walked in to the mother and infant's room, Garden Grove police Lt. Jeff Nightengale said. The suspect, who wore hospital scrubs along with a visitor's pass, suggested to the mother she take a shower in preparation for the doctor's visit, Nightengale said.

While the mother was in the shower, Ramirez placed the newborn into a large tote bag she had brought with her and walked out of the hospital room, he said.

As soon as the suspect entered another part of the hospital the baby girl's sensors set off the alarms, which alerted hospital staff. The hospital staff stopped the suspect and recovered the girl, who was safely returned to her mother.

The baby was not injured.

The suspect has been uncooperative and would not correctly identify herself, Nightengale said.