BACOLOD CITY – A woman was arrested after she allegedly abducted a seven-day-old baby girl at Barangay Tinampaan, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental over the weekend.
Lt. Col. Robert Mansueto, city police chief, identified the suspect as Dorena Arquillo, 47, of the said village.
Mansueto said the baby’s parents met Arquillo last Friday when they were about to discharged from the hospital.
Mansueto said Arquillo offered to help them and accompanied them to their house, but police have yet to determine her intention of staying at the hospital that day.
She (suspect) also slept at the couple’s house for a day as she was assisting the baby’s mother, who’s still recovering from a surgery, he added.
However, the following day, Arquillo left the house without asking permission from the 33-year-old mother, who was asleep. The child’s father was not at home when it happened.
The couple reported to the police that their child was missing. On Sunday, Arquillo was arrested at her house, where she brought the baby, Mansueto said.
The suspect was identified by a tricycle driver and some neighbors when she left the couple’s house last Saturday, he added.
He said the suspect denied the allegations against her, and refused to talk about her reason for committing it.
He said the suspect reportedly suffered miscarriage recently and probably got depressed.
“She might be frustrated because she lost her baby,” he added.
Kidnapping charges in relation to violation of Republic Act 7610 or the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act” were already filed against Arquillo. (Glazyl Masculino)
