Woman Poses As Nurse, Kidnaps Baby At Hospital: RivCo Sheriff

MORENO VALLEY, CA — A woman who allegedly posed as a nurse to gain access to newborn babies at a Moreno Valley hospital was behind bars Friday on suspicion of kidnapping, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department announced.

Jesenea Miron, 23, of Moreno Valley was being held at Riverside's Robert Presley Detention Center in lieu of $1 million bail, according to jail records.

Miron's arrest came after Riverside University Health System - Medical Center hospital staff called authorities Thursday morning to report that a woman posing as a newly hired nurse snuck into an area of the hospital where newborn infants were.

Miron allegedly then made her way into a patient's room, identified herself as a nurse, grabbed the patient's baby and tried to flee, the sheriff's department reported.

Before she could get away with the child, however, hospital staff confronted her, sheriff's Sgt. Edward Soto said. The child was safely rescued and reunited with the patient, but Miron escaped from security guards and fled the hospital campus, according to the sheriff's department.

Moreno Valley Sheriff’s Station investigators quickly identified Miron as the suspect and served a search warrant at a residence in the 11000 block of Weber Street in Moreno Valley. Miron was found at the home and arrested at 12:15 a.m. Friday, jail records show. Evidence linking her to the alleged kidnapping was also found, according to the sheriff's department.

Riverside University Health System– Medical Center CEO Jennifer Cruikshank released a statement about the incident. She said the hospital has "multiple layers of security to protect the safety and well-being of patients and staff, and we’re thankful those systems and our vigilant staff were able to thwart this suspect.

"We appreciate the swift response from the sheriff’s department," she continued. "We are working with them to investigate how the suspect accessed the patient’s room and interacted with the family. Our security protocols have been reviewed and reinforced, and we have additional sheriff’s deputies on campus.

"We are also working with the family to address their concerns and ensure their emotional well-being."