Woman Allegedly Posed as Nurse, Attempted to Kidnap Newborn Baby

A California woman allegedly posed as a nurse in an attempt to kidnap a newborn baby, according to local law enforcement.

Jesenea Miron, 23, was arrested Thursday after staff at Riverside University Health System Medical Center reported her for impersonating a nurse to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office, according to Fox 11 News. Deputies later learned that the woman had shown up at the facility claiming to be a new hire, and eventually gained access to the newborn unit.

Miron, according to staff, entered a patient's room and identified herself as a nurse. She then attempted to take the patient's newborn infant away from the room, at which point she was confronted by staff members and referred to hospital security.

Miron managed to flee the hospital before law enforcement arrived. However, deputies were able to identify and issue a warrant for her arrest. She was ultimately located at her home on the 11000 block of Weber Street in Moreno Valley, California, and arrested.

In a press release sent to Newsweek, the sheriff's office reported that "additional items of evidentiary value" were found in her residence, but did not elaborate further. The department has also not released any information about Miron's potential motive.

Miron was booked into the Robert Presley Detention Center and is facing kidnapping charges. She is being held at the facility on a $1 million bail.

Members of the public with information relevant to Miron's case are urged to reach out to Investigator Galvan or Master Investigator Merrill of the Moreno Valley Sheriff's Station at 951-486-6700 or the Riverside County Sheriff's Department at 951-776-1099.

In its own statement on the incident, the Riverside University Health System praised its staff and security measures for helping to stop Miron before the situation escalated further. It also assured that its measures are being evaluated to determine how she was able to get as far as she did.

"Riverside University Health System–Medical Center has multiple layers of security to protect the safety and well-being of patients and staff, and we're thankful those systems and our vigilant staff were able to thwart this suspect," the statement read, according to Fox 11. "We appreciate the swift response from the Sheriff's Department. We are working with them to investigate how the suspect accessed the patient's room and interacted with the family. Our security protocols have been reviewed and reinforced, and we have additional sheriff's deputies on campus."