Jamaica Gleaner

Missing baby found in Dunkirk

Police to place woman found in possession of child in custody

- Andre Williams/Staff Reporter andre.williams@gleanerjm.com

ELEVEN-DAY-OLD KIMOYA Robe, who was abducted from her mother on the compound of the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH), was medically examined last evening after investigat­ors acting on informatio­n swooped down on the east Kingston community of Dunkirk and retrieved the child.

The newborn was found in the company of the woman who the police surmised had tricked her wheelchair-bound mother, according to head of the Kingston Western police, Senior Superinten­dent Michael Phipps.

The SSP said that the investigat­ion will determine the reason for the abduction.

“We are in the process of having the child medically examined whilst we will interview all persons who can provide informatio­n and in the same breath, we will seek to have the person found in possession of the child placed in custody at one of our female facilities,” SSP Phipps said, while confirming the welcoming news that the baby was safely in the care of the State.

Up to press time, informatio­n was that the child was going through the routine examinatio­n process at the Bustamante Hospital for Children.

The parents, 26-year-old Christiana Blake, mother, and father 33-year-old Kevin Robe who are from a Kingston 7 address, pleaded with the public through the media to give the police whatever informatio­n they had so they could be reunited with their child.

Official charges could be proffered against the suspect as early as today.

Thereafter a court date would be set for her to appear before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court.

The Denham Town police had launched a probe following a report of the stolen baby.

The incident occurred yesterday about 10:05 a.m.

Reports are that the suspect, who the child’s mother claimed she met before at the medical facility on more than one occasion, approached her and offered to assist with the baby.

The mother then handed her the baby and while talking to the suspect, she left, claiming she would return momentaril­y.

The mother attempted to stop the woman while she was leaving.

However, she left with the baby and did not return.

A report was made and the compound was checked.

The police compiled an investigat­ion team and immediatel­y began probing the incident.

News emerged just before 4 p.m. that the baby girl was found in the custody of the suspect.

However, our news team was unsuccessf­ul in attempts to reach the parents upon retrieving the newborn.

The Gleaner has not ascertaine­d if the parents have officially been reunited as there is a process which must be adhered to in instances where there’s an abduction.

In 2019, Sae’breon Hutton, a day-old baby, was abducted from the VJH and it took investigat­ors almost a month to find the missing child.

Peta-Gay French, who was 28-years old at the time, was charged with child stealing after attempting to register the baby at the Registrar General’s Department in St Catherine.

She was sentenced to three years and fours months after she pleaded guilty to the offence.

 ?? PHOTO BY TIFFANY PRYCE ?? Eleven-day-old baby Kimoya Robe who was abducted from the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston yesterday.
PHOTO BY TIFFANY PRYCE Eleven-day-old baby Kimoya Robe who was abducted from the Victoria Jubilee Hospital in Kingston yesterday.

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