Abducted baby returns home safely

Mary Grace Goto reunites with her baby boy, a day after the child was allegedly abducted by a woman who pretended to be her relative in Bacolod City last Monday. (Photo courtesy of Frances Doren Balboa)

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A baby boy who was allegedly abducted by an unidentified woman here last Monday was safely returned to his parents Tuesday night.

Police Major Jovil Sedel, head of Police Station 1, said the infant was turned over by the suspect’s family to his parents at the police station around 10:45 p.m.

Sedel said they were able to trace the whereabouts of the baby after the two elder sisters of the suspect, who was later identified as 23-year-old Angelie Gonzales, reached out to the authorities when their mother informed them that their younger sister brought an infant to their mother’s house in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Sedel said the suspect initially refused to return the baby, claiming that the boy was her friend’s child.

But her sisters told her that the family was looking for the baby.

The suspect’s sisters safely returned the baby to his parents – Mary Grace Goto, and Wilmer Goto, both residents of Barangay Granada.

Sedel said the suspect’s family alleged that Gonzales was reportedly suffering from nervous breakdown after she had a miscarriage four months ago.

The abduction happened when Gonzales pretended to be a relative of the child’s mother and encouraged the latter to have hair treatment at a salon, where she left her.

Sedel said the child’s family has yet to decide on the filing of kidnapping charges against Gonzales, who is still at large.