Woman Pretends To Be A Nurse, Tries To Abduct Newborn From Hospital

Moreno Valley, California -- A 23-year-old woman was arrested for pretending to be a nurse and trying to kidnap a newborn from a California hospital.

Hospital staff confronted the woman and managed to thwart the baby’s abduction.

Jesenea Miron of Moreno Valley entered the Riverside University Health System-Medical Center on Thursday morning, while posing as a newly hired nurse. Deputies said Miron then stepped into the medical unit, where the newborns were present, and went into a patient’s room.

After claiming she was a nurse, Miron tried to take the patient’s newborn infant, but was confronted by hospital staff, who managed to foil the woman’s abduction attempt, according to Local 12.

Miron escaped before she could be apprehended by hospital security or law enforcement officials, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.

Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station deputies responded after being notified around 10:30 a.m. about “an individual impersonating a nurse on campus,” the news release said.

“Investigators served a search warrant at the 11000 block of Weber Street in the city of Moreno Valley, where Miron was located and arrested," the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said. "Additional items of evidentiary value were also located inside the residence."

The would-be kidnapper was arrested early Friday morning. She was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center for kidnapping charges, and was being held on a one million dollar bail.

The officials did not reveal whether Miron chose a patient’s room at random or specifically targeted one person.

The medical center's CEO, Jennifer Cruikshank, said they were working with investigators to find out the circumstances that allowed Miron to enter the room, KTLA 5 News reported.

Cruikshank also lauded the staff for stopping the woman before she could get away with the baby.

“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," Cruikshank said in the statement. "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.”