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Woman Who Tried to Steal Newborn From Hospital Charged With Kidnapping, Burglary [UPDATED]
The 48-year-old woman who allegedly posed as a hospital employee andtried to make off with a newborn stashed in her tote bag Monday will face kidnapping and first-degree burglary charges.Grisel Ramirez of Garden Grove is accused of snatching the baby girl from the mother's room at Garden Grove Hospital Medical Center, but was caught when a monitor on the day-old baby sent out a "code pink" alarm at the facility.
Due in court for arraignment this afternoon in Orange County, Ramirez will be charged with one count of kidnapping of a child younger than 14 and five counts of first-degree burglary, all felonies, according to City News Service.
Ramirez is thought to have orchestrated the kidnapping in order to prove to her estranged husband she was pregnant with their child, which she told him was a daughter. The mother of two adult children, Ramirez was identified by new mothers who encountered the suspect at an Anaheim hospital the week prior as the same woman dressed in scrubs who was quizzing them about due dates and the gender of their expected bundles of joy.
Ramirez, a waitress, is being held without bail. She could face up to 19 years and eight months, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
UPDATE 3:00 PM: The OCDA revised its initial figures from 17 to 19 years of possible imprisonment. Additionally, arraignment has been postponed to August 31.
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