PD: Woman faces kidnap charge after child removed from car

Brownsville police arrested a woman for taking her neighbor's infant from a parked vehicle, a police spokesman said.

Erica Rivera, 33, was charged with kidnapping, Sgt. Jimmy Manrrique said.

The incident took place just past noon Saturday at 230 McKenzie Rd. when the infants mother, Maria Guadalupe Cruz, returned from a trip to the grocery store. Cruz had left the infant asleep in her black Jeep Cherokee with the door open, while she unloaded her groceries inside the house, Manrrique said.

"The victim's mother states that her 9-year-old daughter ran inside screaming that Erica had taken the baby," the spokesman said. "She ran to the car and, once she saw the child wasn't there, she went to her neighbor's house."

After repeatedly knocking on the door, Rivera opened the door and began shouting obscenities at Cruz telling her she shouldn't leave her child alone in the car and that the next time she would call the police, Manrrique said.

After Cruz had the child back in her hands, she went home and called police.

Officers spoke with Rivera who was uncooperative and stated that she was inside and heard a baby crying, Manrrique said.

"She shouldn't have taken the infant without consent," said the spokesman. "We are not clear on the purpose of her taking the child. ... Officers said her story didn't check out; she had a window unit (in her home) and would not have been able to hear a child crying."

A municipal judge set a $10,000 personal recognizance bond for Rivera, police said. The state charge of kidnapping is a third-degree felony with a punishment range up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000.