Women accused of kidnapping couple’s days-old baby
Two women have been charged with kidnapping and burglary after an 11-day-old baby girl was removed from her Epsom home yesterday.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard said police were told the baby had been kidnapped about 7am.
The baby girl was found safe and well and returned to her parents at their Pah Rd house about 1.30pm.
Beard said a 21-year-old and an 18-year-old were arrested in relation to the kidnapping. Both women would appear in the Auckland District Court today, facing kidnapping and burglary charges.
He said a large team of officers had made inquiries all day.
“The baby’s parents are obviously very distraught and have been through a terrible ordeal and they are currently with their baby,” he said.
“This has been an extremely harrowing time for the new parents of a very young baby. We are relieved and thankful that the baby was not harmed and has been reunited with her parents.”
Police were still working to establish the circumstances around the kidnapping. Beard said they were not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.
Police were unable to release further details because the matter was before the courts, he said.
Epsom MP David Seymour said the parents called him yesterday after the baby had been taken, to make sure everything possible was being done to find their daughter.
“It’s unbelievable,” he said. “They were just distraught.
“It is difficult to imagine a more harrowing thing that could happen to parents, especially of a newborn baby.”
Seymour said he believed the baby was taken from the family house but would not reveal details of how it had happened.
He said he had been working with them on another issue prior to the baby’s birth and the couple were excited about the arrival of their first child.
“[Having a baby] is probably the most exciting thing that can happen to two people, and to have that taken away ... ”
The parents had been back in touch to let him know their daughter was safe and had already joked it would make a great 21st story.
He said about 80 police officers had been tasked with finding the baby and praised police for getting the girl back to her family so quickly.
“It’s always been a reality that bad things can happen in nice neighbourhoods . . . You can’t predict when something completely diabolical like this will happen.”
A man from a neighbouring unit, who asked not to be named, believed the family had moved into the house two to three months ago.
At least 10 police cars had descended on the property, including forensics teams and unmarked cars.
He initially thought there had been a robbery but they told him it was more serious than that.
Police were “evasive” about the case, and had told locals not to speak to the media, according to another neighbour.
He said the area was “so safe”, despite the incident.
“It’s the loveliest place.”