Police: Marital Problems Led Woman To Try To Kidnap Newborn Girl

GARDEN GROVE (CBSLA.com) — Police say the woman who allegedly tried to kidnap a newborn baby girl Monday did so to try to save her marriage.

Grisela Maria Ramirez, 48, is set to be arraigned Wednesday on attempted kidnapping charges after trying to take the infant from a new mother at Garden Grove Medical Center.

Garden Grove police Lt. Jeff Nightengale says Ramirez and her husband have been having marital problems and are in the middle of a separation. Ramirez took the child because she told her husband she was pregnant and having a baby girl, Nightengale said.

"The due date had apparently come and gone and she needed to produce the baby girl in order to be credible with her separated husband," said Nightengale.

In a 911 call to Garden Grove Police, a nurse told the dispatcher that the mother of the child did not know Ramirez, who was dressed in scrubs-like uniform.

"At first when the doctor asked her to open up the bag, she didn't want to, and of course, a baby was found," the nurse said to the dispatcher.

Ramirez allegedly walked into the mother's hospital room, dressed as a nurse in scrubs, and suggested to the mother she take a shower before the doctor came in to see her. Ramirez then put the newborn into a purple and white tie-dye fabric tote bag and tried to walk out of the hospital's nursery area with the child, police said.

The child's security sensors set off the hospital's alarms, alerting the hospital staff.

"Every baby that's born inside the hospital, we apply an infant band security that has sensors on it and once the sensors get close to the exit, the alarm goes off," said Garden Grove hospital CEO Sofia Abrina.

Ramirez is an undocumented immigrant, and is being held without bail on an immigration hold. According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice, federal officials will not preempt the local criminal case.