Photo: San Jose Police Department
Suspect Yesenia Guadalupe Ramirez, one of the three people charged in connection with the kidnapping of 3-month-old Brandon Cuellar, was reportedly familiar with the child.
Police didn’t immediately return PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Cuellar was kidnapped from an apartment on Monday while his grandmother unloaded groceries from her car,NBC Newsreported. A man was seen on video footage leaving the home carrying the infant inside a carseat that was covered with a blanket, theSan Jose Police Department announced.
On Tuesday morning, police announced he was found safely.
“Happy to report that 3-month-old Brandon Cuellar was safely located a few hours ago,” San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata said in apress conference on Tuesday morning.
Mata continued: “Also, detectives have identified several individuals responsible for this incident. This incident is a parent’s worst nightmare, and we are fortunate that this resulted in a positive outcome.”
San José Police
In addition to Ramirez, Jose Roman Portillo and Baldomeo Sandoval were also charged in connection with the case, police shared per anews release.
During apress conferenceSergeant Christian Camarillo with the San Jose Police Department shared all three suspects face charges of kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, child abduction and home invasion.
The boy’s grandmother, Victoria Mejía, recounted the horrifying experience and shared how relieved she is that her grandson is safe.
“Thank God we have a happy ending. It was such a hard experience that I could never expect it. I wish that on no one. It was a very terrible anguish, very hard. I felt like I was dying,” said Mejía, per Univision 14.
She continued, “When we got the news that our little grandson had been found, I thanked God very much. God has done the work that we managed to see him and hug him again.”
Camarillo confirmed toPEOPLEthat Ramirez was with Mejía before the infant was taken.
“This was a person who was with the grandmother yesterday when they went shopping, she was present at the apartment complex when this happened,” he said Tuesday morning,CBS San Franciscoreported.
Ramirez originally started off as a witness, Camarillo confirms to PEOPLE.
“Quickly, that moved into a person of interest, and then a suspect. There were some inconsistencies with the story she was giving us,” he said. “Obviously, our detectives did a good job of pointing out the inconsistencies she was sharing. Like I said, she went from a witness, to a person of interest, to a suspect.”
“We do believe she played a role in planning this and helping the two additional suspects for the kidnapping of Brandon,” he added. “As far as we know at this point in the investigation, the grandma didn’t have anything to do or have knowledge of this planned kidnapping.”
source: people.com
