Baby sitter accused in kidnapping case

A baby sitter faced kidnapping charges for allegedly snatching a 5-month-old baby she tried to pass off as her own after concealing a miscarriage.

Ana Marie Martinez was to appear in court later Monday, following her arrest the day before.

Martinez had been a regular baby sitter for the boy’s parents, Doris Leon, 26, and Miguel Mejia, 25. She befriended the then-expectant couple soon after miscarrying a child of her own in October, prosecutor Wayne Forrest said.

Martinez concealed the miscarriage from her boyfriend and used photos she had taken during her baby sitting visits to pass off the couple’s son as her own, Forrest said.

The infant’s parents hired Martinez to watch the boy in their home in Bridgewater while they went shopping Saturday. She and the child were not there when the couple returned, and they assumed Martinez had taken the child with her while she ran an errand.

The parents called police when Martinez failed to return by late afternoon. Witnesses said she had left the home that morning with a man who turned out to be her boyfriend, Mario Tejeda-Hernandez, 27.

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On Sunday, Hernandez realized he’d been deceived and called the boy’s parents, Forrest said.

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The baby was returned to his parents in good condition, prosecutors said.

Martinez could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of kidnapping.