Missing 2-month-old Plant City girl found safe

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

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The baby was brought to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office Tuesday.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- A missing 2-month-old girl has been found safe.

An Amber Alert was issued for Sandra Cruz-Francisco Monday after she was last seen at the Plant City Health Center on Michigan Avenue in Plant City.

She was there with her mother getting a check-up.

Police believe the suspect, calling herself Janet, may have posed as an immigration official, convincing the baby's mother to turn over the child as a way to avoid deportation.

"Basically, what we were told was there was a conversation," said Plant City Police Capt. Darrell Wilson. "I know there's been some stories out there about immigration but we haven't confirmed what exactly was said. There was some story about immigration and some type of official."

More Information

This afternoon investigators received an anonymous call saying the woman and baby were on a street corner in Bradenton.

When deputies arrived they found 43-year-old Amaila Tabata Pereira waiting for them with the child. They say it's possible she's the one who made the call.

The baby was taken to child protection offices to be checked out. She was fine and unharmed. Pereira was taken into custody.

"The woman was very cooperative with us as soon as we got there she said, 'yes, here's the baby,' and she talked to us and told us a few things that we're not gonna elaborate on right now, obviously," said David Bristow, a spokesperson for the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. "We're gonna give all our information to the Plant City Police Department."

The child's mother, Rosa Francisco, reported her child missing from the health center earlier in the day Monday.

The alert was issued at 11:55 p.m. Monday night.

Police say they were called at 9 p.m. They don't know the reason for the delay between the time the child was taken and the time they were notified.

"We're trying to find out from the mother as well," Wilson said.

Pereira faces charges of false imprisonment, interference with child custody and impersonating a social services worker.

More Information on Amaila Tabata Pereira

She also goes by the names of Alalia Rivera, Amalia Segui, and Almalia Maldonao and has a criminal history.

Pereira was arrested in 1999 for arson, grand theft, and forgery. She plead no contest and was convicted of arson and sentenced to 2 years and 9 months in jail and five years probation.

According to our partners at The St. Petersburg Times, Pereira is married to Jose Tabata, a 20-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates minor league player.

Pereira's brother told Bay News 9 that Pereira has been estranged from the family for about a year.

He said that she has four children, although most are grown.

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