Authorities reportedly detained Dr. Claudia Alves, a licensed neurologist and professor at two Brazilian institutions, on suspicion of stealing a baby girl from her parents.
On the same day, the little girl was returned to her parents.
Just three hours after the child was born in Itambura, Goiás, Alves abducted the infant by posing as a physician at the clinic. She said it was time to feed the newborn, before hiding the baby in a backpack and fleeing to her car. She then drove 83 kilometers to her home in Itambura, as seen on a hospital surveillance video.
Surveillance footage shows the suspect exiting a red car at 11:18 p.m. on Tuesday. She is wearing a lab coat, face mask, cap, gloves, and a yellow bag and making her way towards the clinic. Security footage shows her making her way to the vehicle at 11:46 p.m., clutching the infant in one hand before she sped off.
The experience was particularly distressing since the baby was born with a heart condition and needed extra attention.
The infant is healthy and shows no signs of abuse, according to Marcos Brandão, chief of the Goiás Civil Police. Alves told the arresting officers that she was sick and taking medicine. The fact that she had bought baby clothes and accessories before the abduction cast doubt on her statements to Civil Police head Anderson Pelágio.
She had additional baby items in her car, including pink clothes and diaper-changing kits. Since she had bought baby clothes and accessories before the abduction, and the items were pink, and she abducted a girl, the police didn’t believe her story. Since the victim is a minor, Alves faces up to eight years in jail – assuming she is convicted of abduction.