Officials: Abducted newborn much safer in state custody
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – A newborn boy abducted by a woman posing as an immigration agent was again taken from his mother after a brief reunion, this time by state officials who said the baby and his three siblings would be safest with foster parents.
Rob Johnson, a spokesman for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, said the children were taken from their mother, Maria Gurrolla, “purely for safety reasons,” though he would not detail why they were in danger.
Johnson said officials made arrangements for Gurrolla to see her baby Saturday afternoon and hold him, four days after he was abducted. She brought her three other children – ages 3, 9 and 11 – to the reunion and all of the children were then taken into custody. Johnson, who said he could not discuss details of the situation for privacy reasons, said a judge would review the case next week to determine when the children can go home.
Joel Siskovic, an FBI special agent in the Memphis division, said there was no indication of an ongoing threat to the family. He could not say why the children were put into state custody.