Forgive loving ‘Mom’ who snatched me as a baby pleads girl, 18
A TEENAGER brought up by a woman who kidnapped her as a baby yesterday said she will always love her and still thinks of her as her mother.
The 18-year-old was raised as Alexis Manigo in South Carolina, USA, after Gloria Williams snatched her from a Florida hospital when she was eight-hours-old.
Although Alexis found out two years ago that Williams had kidnapped her, authorities only unravelled the mystery last weekend.
The teenager, real name Kamiyah Mobley, said she wanted the 51-year-old to be forgiven for her “mistake”.
Speaking on US TV, she said: “I understand what she did was wrong – just don’t lock her up and throw away the key.
“She loved me for 18 years, she cared about me for 18 years. I just want people to realise that. She made one mistake but I was loved.
“From that one mistake I was given the best life. I had everything I ever needed, wanted, I had love especially.
“There is no price you can put on the love given to me.
“I still think of her as Mom, she will always be Mom.
“They want me to hate her and it’s not in me to. I will always love her.”
Williams posed as a health worker and stole Alexis from University Medical Center, in Jacksonville.
Police tracked her down after receiving a mysterious tip-off from an anonymous caller.
After the connection was made she was reunited with her biological parents Craig Aiken and Shanara Mobley.
Alexis said: “When you find out you got another family out there, it’s just more love.
“For some it’s a victory but at the same time you do take a loss when someone so dear to you is just snatched like that.”
Alexis said she does not mind which of her names people use.
Williams appeared at a court in Jacksonville for the first time yesterday.
She was ordered to appear again on February 8. She has not yet entered a plea.