EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – A 19-year-old mother abducted her child from the Royal Alexandra Hospital Mar. 2 without interference from security.
The woman, who did not have legal custody of the child, took the one-day-old infant shortly after 10 a.m. She then boarded a bus with only a blanket covering the child. Witnesses on the bus said the woman appeared to be fidgety and paranoid, adding that they believed the baby was a doll. One witness said she called a social worker because the new mother’s behavior was odd.
Police eventually picked up the woman and the child up at her home in Evergreen Mobile Home Park. The baby is currently safe and in the custody of children’s services.
The mother’s name has not been released and spokeswoman Heather Massel of children’s services said she couldn’t say why the woman lost custody of the child; however, the apprehension order is normally carried out when a parent is unable to take care of the child or is unwilling to care for the child.
Steve Buick of Capital Health said there will be an investigation on how the woman was able to leave the hospital, adding that there was miscommunication between the staff and social services regarding the apprehension order. He said the order does not necessarily mean the mother could not have any contact with the newborn.
Police said the woman will not face charges.
