Missing Newborn Found (UPDATED)

Parents taken into custody

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By Lauren Maxwell
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Story Created: Oct 3, 2012 at 5:23 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Oct 4, 2012 at 6:58 PM AKDT

UPDATE: Anchorage police say Monica Vasquez admitted to using drugs while pregnant, then fled the hospital after giving birth.

The 30-year-old woman was arraigned in court Thursday afternoon.

Monica Vasquez admitted to hospital staffers that she had used methamphetamines and alcohol during her pregnancy, but would not let the hospital test her newborn son for drugs.

According to court documents, Vasquez left the baby with the father then left the hospital.

An amber alert was issued.

Vasquez is now charged with criminal non-support.

A judge set her bail at $1,000 plus a third party custodian.

The child's father is expected to be arraigned Friday.
 

ANCHORAGE - A four-day-old baby who was taken from the hospital yesterday has been found safe and sound.

The Anchorage Police Department's spokesman, Lieutenant Dave Parker, said the baby was turned into police headquarters at around 1 p.m. Wednesday, apparently in good health.

It was good news to hear after the newborn’s disappearance from the Alaska Native Medical Center on Tuesday sparked an Amber Alert and a massive search. Parker says the situation was taken very seriously because detectives believed the infant could be in real danger.

Police say both the child’s parents were involved, and Wednesday arrested 30-year-old Monica Vasquez and 32-year-old Taimata Galo Jr.

According to documents, Vasquez admitted to hospital staff that she used both methamphetamine and alcohol during her pregnancy. After the baby’s birth she refused to allow her son to be tested for drugs even though hospital staff suspected he was going through withdrawl.

Police say Vasquez ran away with the baby after an interview with an investigator from the Office of Children’s Services, handing him off to his father before all three of them disappeared.

Police haven’t said who turned the baby into police headquarters, only that they did the right thing. Vasquez and Galo are scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday on charges of criminal non-support.
 

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Anonymous said on Wednesday, Oct 3 at 11:29 PM

at least the baby is safe and the parents are in jail

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James said on Wednesday, Oct 3 at 11:06 PM

Birth control or abortion.

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jeremy said on Wednesday, Oct 3 at 10:17 PM

what scum, get the child the care he needs.

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