A Washington state woman allegedly used the guise of being a baby photographer in a purported attempt to kidnap a child, flee, and raise it as her own.
A woman who had recently given birth to a baby girl reported that she saw an advertisement in a Facebook group offering free baby photos free of charge in exchange for the shoot helping a new photographer establish her portfolio.
The woman said that the photographer came to her house a total of three times, and took selfies with her baby while she was there.
When the advertised photographer came to the woman’s residence a third time she reportedly brought her 16-year-old daughter with her. During their visit the teenager allegedly gave the new mother a cupcake to eat.
After the woman ingested the sweet treat she reportedly began to feel drowsy and asked the photographer and her daughter to leave her home.
After the visitors left the woman notified the authorities and told them that she suspected she had been drugged. She informed them about how she came to know the woman that was in her home and said that she believed the suspect stole her house keys before leaving. She additionally reported that she believed she saw the woman wiping down all of the surfaces she came into contact with at the residence in a purported effort to erase any evidence that she had been there.
The authorities surmised that the suspect had drugged the alleged victim so that she could steal the woman’s 3-week-old daughter.
When they investigated the situation further the police felt they had reason to believe that 38-year-old Juliette Parker and her 16-year-old daughter were the people who had been at the alleged victim’s home and fed her the reportedly tainted cupcake.
On Friday, Parker and her daughter were tracked down at their residence in Spanaway, Washington, and taken into custody.
Parker is expected to face charges for attempted kidnapping, and assault, and her daughter is also scheduled to appear in court for charges related to the allegations.
Parker posted a $50,000 bond and was released from custody after spending two days in jail.
As the authorities continued their investigation they reported that several women have come forward and said that they also had encounters with Parker. All of the women are new mothers, and all but one have newborn daughters.
One of the people who spoke with the police had recently given birth to a son, and she said that the suspect told her she was not interested in photographing male children.
The authorities surmised that Parker, who allegedly has more than one alias, was planning to kidnap a baby girl and raise the child as her own.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a crime, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.