The case of the recovery of a six week old baby who was the subject of a statewide AMBER Alert when she vanished after her mom was murdered sounds like something out of 'Law & Order,' News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo says little Shamali Flores was found safe in an apartment in southwest Houston today, in the custody of a friend of the family of the woman who was murdered.
"She was pregnant, she was due in January, and she did not share the fact that she had lost the baby with anyone," Acevedo said. "She continued to pretend that she was pregnant, and then, lo and behold on Decemeber 19th she showed up with a baby and pretended it was hers."
Erica Miranda-Alvarez, 25, was arrested without incident and Acevedo says she could face a capital murder charge in the stabbing death of Shamali's mom, Carolina Flores, 33.
Acevedo says, like Flores, Miranda-Alvarez was an immigrant from Honduras, and that's how they met.
"She befriended the victim's brother," he said. "That's how she got to know the family, and she had been an acqauintance of the family and friends of the family for about five years."
The suspect's boyfriend was also arrested when the baby was found.
Acevedo said he is cooperating with police and, right now, it is believed he also believed Shamali was Miranda-Alvarez' baby.
He says witnesses provided police with a tip that the couple was preparing to leave the city with the baby, and that prompted the police raid that rescued the baby.