A woman has been charged with felony kidnapping after trying to take a newborn out of the hospital. The authorities say she dressed up as a nurse to gain access to the facility. She eventually found her way into a patient’s room where they tried to steal the child.
According to a press release from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, 23-year-old Jesenea Miron entered the Riverside University Health System – Medical Center in Moreno Valley, CA, on Thursday morning. Miron allegedly pretended to be a new nurse at the facility to get inside. By wearing scrubs, she “gained access to a medical unit where newborn infants were present.”
The suspect then “entered a patient’s hospital room and identified herself as a nurse. While inside the patient’s room, she attempted to take their newborn infant,” the release reads.
She was confronted by hospital staff, who then notified authorities. Miron fled the scene without the newborn before the policy could arrive.
They then tracked Miron down to a home in Moreno Valley, where “additional items of evidentiary value were also located,” according to the release.
She was arrested and booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center.
The incident was a shock to patients and providers.
The hospital responded to the incident in a written statement. Medical Center CEO Jennifer Cruikshank said they are working with the Sheriff’s Department to “investigate how the suspect accessed the patient’s room and interacted with the family.”
“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 … Our security protocols have been reviewed and reinforced, and we have additional sheriff’s deputies on campus. We are also working with the family to address their concerns and ensure their emotional well-being,” Cruikshank said.
Miron is currently being held on $1 million bail.
