| For Immediate Release Case # TBA August 8, 2012 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Chief of Staff Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami
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WOMAN TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR SEARCHING ROOMS AND KIDNAPPING NEWBORN BABY GIRL IN HOSPITAL
WESTMINSTER – A woman will be arraigned today for kidnapping a newborn baby from Garden Grove Medical Center after searching multiple hospital rooms in two different hospitals for a baby to steal. Grisel Ramirez, 48, Garden Grove, is charged with one felony count of kidnapping of a child under 14 years old and five felony counts of first degree burglary with a sentencing enhancement for the kidnapping of a child to deprive the parent of custody. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 19 years and eight months in state prison. The People will be requesting the defendant be held on $1 million bail at her arraignment today, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2012, at 1:30 p.m. in Department W-2, West Justice Center, Westminster.
At approximately 10:00 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2012, Ramirez is accused of entering Garden Grove Medical Center in Garden Grove wearing medical scrubs, a visitor tag, and carrying a large tote bag with the intention of kidnapping a newborn baby girl. The defendant is accused entering the individual hospital rooms of four new mothers and asking questions about their babies including the sex and date of birth.
Ramirez is accused of entering the hospital room of Jane Doe #5, a mother with a newborn baby girl, and distracting the mother by asking her to take a shower in preparation for moving hospital rooms. While the mother was distracted, Ramirez is accused of placing 1-day-old Baby Doe in her tote bag. She is accused of then leaving the room and attempting to flee from the hospital.
The defendant is accused of being contacted by hospital staff while still inside attempting to leave the hospital after an alarm on the baby’s identification tag alerted hospital staff that Baby Doe was being moved. The defendant was arrested at the scene by the Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD), who investigated this case.
In the course of the investigation, it was determined that the Anaheim Police Department (APD) was investigating a similar case at Western Medical Center (WMC) in Anaheim. On July 26, 2012, Ramirez is accused of entering WMC dressed in medical scrubs and carrying a tote bag with the intention of kidnapping a newborn baby girl. She is accused of entering at least one hospital room and asking a new mother questions about her baby including the sex and date of birth. The new mother reported the suspicious contact to the hospital and APD.
Anyone with additional information is encouraged to contact GGPD at (714) 741-5800 or the District Attorney Special Investigations Hotline at (714) 347-8544.
Senior Deputy District Attorney John Christl of the Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting this case.