Missing Madison baby found in Indiana; babysitter in custody
A 5-month-old Madison boy who was kidnapped by his babysitter was found "in excellent health" on Tuesday in Fort Wayne, Ind.
The U.S. Marshal Service located Danielle Medina, 17, at about 4:20 p.m. Tuesday at a residence in Indiana, and took her into custody.
Medina was charged Monday with aggravated kidnapping after Cortez L. Rose was reported missing on Saturday.
"The baby seems to be in excellent health," Madison Police Chief Steven Shelby said. "I could hear the baby screaming in the background over the phone. It was music to my ears."
Cortez's mother, Makeela King, 16, said she was ecstatic that her baby was found safely. She was at the Madison Police Department on Tuesday when she heard the news.
Law enforcement officials from the Madison Police Department, U.S. Marshal Service and the FBI followed "some good leads" Tuesday, Shelby said.
"I know the U.S. Marshal did some real good legwork the past several days," Shelby said. "We were able to get a hold of her via some cell phone records. She was found at a residence; there were 13 people at the house."
Shelby said Medina will be held at the sheriff's department in the county where U.S. Marshal officials located her.
He said he did not know when Medina will be brought back to Madison. He said she was not being very cooperative.
"She would not confirm who she was at first," Shelby said.
The Indiana Department of Child Services will probably take custody of Cortez until his family is able to pick him up, Shelby said.
"This is huge," U.S. Marshal Don Slazinik said. "We do a lot of apprehensions, a lot of tracking of people. Anytime you can find a baby like this that's missing, you always think of all the bad things that could have happened, and everybody's high-fiving around here."
Police on Monday secured a $500,000 warrant from the Madison County State's Attorney's Office for Medina's arrest.
The child was left with Medina on Saturday at the child's home at 1545 Fifth St. in Madison while his mother went to East St. Louis.
While the mother was gone, Medina left with the infant. Police were notified on Sunday, and they issued a missing-child alert.
Medina is wanted on an outstanding felony robbery and grand larceny warrant in New York where she has previously been convicted of child endangerment, Shelby said.
Details of the conviction were not immediately available, but police said she fled the charge in New York. Medina came to the metro-east to stay with her boyfriend, Aries Moses.
Police in New York are also looking for Moses. He also is wanted for felony robbery and grand larceny and had fled the state.
Medina had been staying with Moses in East St. Louis after she came to the metro-east about two months ago. She then moved to the residence in Madison for the babysitting job through an acquaintance on Friday, Shelby said.
http://www.bnd.com/372/story/801540.html
Missing: Cortez L. Rose
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