Moreno Valley woman posed as nurse, schemed for months to steal babies from hospital, officials say

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) -- A Moreno Valley woman will remain behind bars as she faces kidnapping charges after allegedly posing as a nurse to try to steal babies from a hospital.

Jesenea Miron, 23, was told by a judge that she'll remain in custody on a no-bail hold. She is facing two felony counts of kidnapping.

"Somebody that puts this much effort, allegedly, into snatching someone's child... I don't trust," said Riverside County superior court judge Charles Koosed. "I frankly think she needs a lot of psychiatric help."

The incident allegedly occurred on July 14 at the Riverside University Health System Medical Center in Moreno Valley. The Riverside County Sheriff's Department said deputies responded to the location around 10:30 a.m. after being notified by hospital staff of an individual impersonating a nurse on campus, and then trying to take a newborn child.

In court, Riverside County deputy district attorney Evelyn Essenwanger said the suspect was stopped by the child's parents.

"But for the diligence of the parents that stopped her she would have been able to go ahead with her plan and take one of those infants out of the hospital as her own," the prosecutor said.

Detectives said Miron fled the location before eventually being apprehended by law enforcement at a location on the 11000 block of Weber Street in Moreno Valley. After the incident was broadcast in local media, prosecutors said a second victim came forward making similar allegations from the same day.

According to court documents filed by investigators, "Miron admitted to impersonating a nurse and said that she wanted to be close to a baby... Evidence was located that showed she had ultrasounds from two other hospitals."

Officials with the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said it appears that these two ultrasounds were manufactured by Miron; they both showed images of a fetus as well as her name.

In court, Essenwanger said it wasn't a spur of the moment decision for Miron to allegedly try to kidnap a baby out of a hospital, but a scheme that had been planned for months.

"The defendant planned this for a long period of time. In fact, the defendant was not carrying a child for six months, so that entire time she was lying to her family about having a baby and told her parents she was going to the hospital because she was having contractions that morning," said Essenwanger.

"So, the purpose for going into that hospital and posing as a nurse is so she could actually have access to those infants."

Hospital officials declined interview requests by Eyewitness News but provided a written statement.

"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," said CEO Jennifer Cruikshank in the statement.

"Our security protocols have been reviewed and reinforced, and we have additional sheriff's deputies on campus. We are also working with the family to address their concerns and ensure their emotional well-being."