Baby found in Orange; ‘person of interest’ questioned in kidnapping

Baby Taraji Kemp was found abandoned in unincorporated Orange County early Saturday evening after a frantic 17-hour kidnapping investigation that started with a reported armed home invasion near Fort Lauderdale at 11 p.m. Friday.

Broward Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Joy Oglesby tweeted short- ly after 5 p.m. that Kemp was found alive. She said the infant was found unharmed but was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children as precaution.

Oglesby tweeted the baby will stay overnight at the hospital and will be reunited with her mother Sunday.

Oglesby would not say anything about what led to the baby more than 200 miles from her home or where she was found.

Hours earlier, Stephanie Augus- tin, 23, considered a person of interest in the case, was found near Fort Pierce and was with detectives, Oglesby said. The agency did not say how or whether Augustin was related to the 2-month-old Taraji or her mother.

Late Friday, the Broward Sheriff’s Office was called to a report of a home invasion and possible kidnapping at 2770 NW 14th Court, the agency said. Units from the sheriff’s office, including Violent Crimes, Special Victims and Crime Scene, searched for Taraji. A statewide Amber Alert was issued.

According to Oglesby, the mother and baby were sleeping in a bedroom, along with another child, when the armed intruders barged into the home. There were several other people inside the residence during the home invasion. One of the intruders had a gun, Oglesby said. Sheriff’s K-9 units attempted to sniff out leads but were unsuccessful, authorities said.

“Any time a child is taken, espe- cially this young, 2 months old, they’re still in diapers, they need milk, they’re sleeping constantly,” Oglesby said.

Detectives were interviewing Taraji’s parents and relatives regarding the incident, Oglesby said.

A woman, who appeared upset, was driven away from the scene in a sheriff’s SUV earlier Saturday. Later, another woman arrived at the scene, spoke to deputies and left in tears. She declined to comment.