Woman faces kidnap raps for snatching 7-day-old baby

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Kidnapping charges were filed on Monday against a woman, who allegedly abducted a 7-day-old baby girl at Barangay Tinampaan, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental over the weekend.

Charged before the City Prosecutor’s Office yesterday for the said criminal offense was Dorena Arquillo, 47, of the said village.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Robert Mansueto, city police chief, said Arquillo met the couple at a hospital, where the baby’s mother was confined.

Mansueto said Arquillo offered assistance to the couple when they were about to get discharged from the hospital last Friday, and accompanied them to their house.

“She also slept there for a day to take care of the baby since the mother’s child was still unable to move because of her surgery,” he added.

However, the following day, the suspect allegedly ran away with the baby, while the 33-year-old mother was still asleep. The child’s father was not at home when the abduction happened.

The couple reported to the police that their child was missing until she was found at the suspect’s house on Sunday morning.

Mansueto said a tricycle driver and some neighbors identified the suspect, who was arrested by the police at her house.

Mansueto said they have yet to determine why she was at the hospital that day.

He said the suspect denied the allegations against her and refused to talk about her reason for committing such offense.

He said the suspect allegedly suffered a miscarriage recently and probably got depressed that’s why she did it.

“She might be frustrated because she lost her baby and she did not tell her partner,” he added.