Kidnapped Toddler Found on a Hunch

Posted on Dec 31 2012 - 2:30pm by Sara P.

Officers saw a toddler wearing nothing but a short-sleeved onesie as she was being pushed in her stroller. This would be perfectly normal if it were not a freezing cold day.

The temperature was 29 degrees at the University of Kentucky campus when the two officers spotted the child being pushed in a stroller by what appeared to be the little girl’s grandmother. The lack of covering on the baby left campus officers Jennifer Ockerman and Emily Smith with a bad feeling about what looked to be an innocent stroll.

That hunch paid out, when it was discovered that 17 month old Alouette Day-Moreno-Baltierra had been reported reported abducted from Los Angeles, on Oct. 15. It was believed that Alouette was potentially abducted by a family member from the state of California.

The “grandmother”, 62 year-old Maria Baltierra-Dejesus has been arrested for endangering the welfare of a minor and custodial interference. She is currently being hospitalized for unreleased reasons.

University of Kentucky Police Chief Joe Monroe said in a press statement:

“This is an example of where the responding officers followed a gut feeling that something just wasn’t right with the situation.”

It is also unclear where the child’s parents are, however currently Alouette is in the custody of Kentucky CPS. Child Protective Services is currently working with the LAPD and FBI to return her to California.

Nation

Do you think it’s a good idea for police officers to follow up on hunches? Let us know why or why not in the comments below!