Authorities in Pampanga have filed complaints against a woman accused of walking out of a Mabalacat City hospital with a newborn concealed inside an ecobag, taking the infant without the knowledge of its mother.
Investigators traced the suspect to Magalang, Pampanga, where the baby was found safe and later returned to its family, according to a report by CJ Torida aired Tuesday on GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon.
Police Lt. Col. Jose Charlmar Gundaya, chief of the Mabalacat Police Station, said the woman had visited the room where the newborn was staying before the incident and even chatted with the family as though she were a relative. When the infant’s parents fell asleep, the suspect seized the opportunity to take the child.
At least one witness reportedly saw the woman take the baby but assumed she was related to the parents. The suspect is said to have wrapped the newborn in a shawl, placed the child inside an ecobag, and left the hospital without being stopped.
Police say early findings indicate the suspect is a former overseas Filipino worker who had lost a child of her own. Gundaya pointed to her mental state as a possible factor.
“Postpartum depression. Sa depression ng pagkawala ng anak niya, parang gusto niyang palitan yung anak niya,” he said.
Her husband is also being investigated to determine whether he had any role in the abduction. Separately, authorities are examining whether hospital security fell short in allowing the woman to leave the premises with the infant. The report noted that officials were still seeking a statement from hospital management.
