A California woman surrendered to the police after allegedly posing as a social worker and trying to take away a newborn baby from its mother. Police say the suspect knocked on the mother's door, identified herself as Myela Ortega and claimed that she worked for the Orange County Children and Family Services.
She told the other she was there to take her two-week-old baby into the custody of the state. The mother refused to let her take her child, and the woman threatened to come back with a sheriff's deputy and remove the baby by force if necessary.
"And I say, 'OK if the sheriff has to come in, that's fine. But I don't want to give you my kid," the mother told KABC.
As the woman left in a white SUV, the mother pulled out her cellphone and recorded the woman leaving her home. She then called the police, who confirmed that the woman did not work for Orange County Children and Family Services.
The suspect turned herself in to authorities later that night. Detectives are trying to determine if she victimized other families with her ruse. They have not announced any charges against the woman and are continuing their investigation.
"How did this woman know that this victim had a child less than two weeks ago, where she lives?" asked Santa Ana Police Department Cpl. Anthony Bertagna. "How'd she get her personal information? That's all scary to us."