CA Infant Snatched By Stranger: Police, FBI Take Quick Action

UPDATE 5:30 p.m. Tuesday: 3-month-old Brandon Cuellar has been recovered. He was checked at a hospital as a precaution and has now been returned to his mother.

Three suspects have been taken into custody. They are connected in some way to the family of the boy, San Jose Assistant Police Chief Paul Joseph said at a news conference late Tuesday morning from police headquarters.

The names of the suspects have not been released, although the man pictured carrying Brandon is confirmed to be in custody.

FBI Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge Scott Schelble said a child abduction by a stranger is a rare occurrence.

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ORIGINAL STORY AS FOLLOWS:

SAN JOSE, CA — A statewide manhunt was underway Tuesday after a 3-month-old baby was snatched from his San Francisco Bay Area home by a stranger, authorities said.

The man reportedly entered a San Jose apartment around 1 p.m. Monday and left with baby Brandon Cuellar in his carrier, according to the San Jose Police Department.

“We are actively working leads,” the department tweeted early Tuesday. “We know there is a need for information, but we also need to maintain the integrity of this investigation. The number one unwavering goal is to get baby Brandon home.”

Video footage showed the man walking down the sidewalk away from the home on the 1000 block of Elm Street. He was holding the baby carrier as it was covered by a white blanket.

“The family does not recognize this suspect,” police tweeted.

The kidnapping occurred as Brandon's grandmother was unloading groceries, according to Sgt. Christian Camarillo. She reported the incident to police at 1:03 p.m. Monday.

The suspect, a dark complected Hispanic male, was wearing black pants, a dark blue shirt, gray shoes with white trim, a gray baseball hat, black face mask, and has short hair, according to surveillance footage. The baby was wearing a white, long-sleeve onesie with dinosaurs on it.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation joined into the investigation shortly later.

The FBI went door-to-door in an effort to locate witnesses or any other information related to this case.

Camarillo said the baby's mother was at work when the abduction happened.

“Dad right now is out of the picture. He is incarcerated. I don't know, you know, whether that is going to play into this, but obviously we are going to talk to him soon,” Camarillo said.

He said it is hard to make out the man who took the baby because he was wearing a mask.

“We need the public's help right now in San Jose to find this baby. Today someone is walking around with a 3-month-old baby that they did not have yesterday,” he said.

The FBI dispatched its child abduction response team to help San Jose police, he said.

Police are actively working this case. Anyone with any information is urged to call (408) 277-4166 or call 911 if you've seen the suspect or the baby.

Bay City News Service and the Associated Press contributed to this report.