Couple accused of posing as Amazon driver in shocking kidnapping case

This news has been read 696 times!

LOS ANGELES, March 3, (Agencies): A couple from Florida has been apprehended and charged after allegedly journeying to Washington State and forcibly taking a 7-month-old baby belonging to a relative, according to law enforcement authorities.

Marlly Jarina Ardila-Urrego and Chun Ho Vincent Lai are facing charges of kidnapping, burglary, robbery, and assault in connection with the reported incident that occurred on February 20 in Federal Way, Wash.

Prosecutors assert that Ardila-Urrego, 33, and Lai, 42, deliberately targeted the family solely because they had a child. In the days leading up to the incident, Ardila-Urrego allegedly repeatedly inquired about her cousin’s address, who is the mother of the child, according to charging documents.

Ardila-Urrego purportedly informed the woman that she had ordered a bed frame for her child, scheduled for delivery on Feb 20. On the said day, the victim claims she received a knock on the door shortly after her husband left for work. Through the peephole, she saw someone resembling a delivery driver with an Amazon box.

Upon opening the door, the supposed driver, identified as Lai by prosecutors, allegedly initiated an assault by punching the victim in the face, throwing her to the ground, and securing her wrists and ankles with zip ties, according to court documents.

The victim reported that an unfamiliar woman entered the apartment and held her down while the man placed the infant in an Amazon box and left the premises. One of the suspects allegedly threatened harm to the victim’s 2-year-old child if she did not comply.

After the suspects departed, the victim managed to free herself from the zip ties and promptly called 911. The victim’s father informed authorities that he suspected Ardila-Urrego’s involvement, citing her unusual inquiries about the victim’s address, given their distant relationship. He also claimed knowledge of Ardila-Urrego’s plan to sell a baby for $70,000.

Upon receiving the report, the police utilized cellphone information to locate the couple’s vehicle and apprehend them. Less than four hours after the alleged kidnapping, law enforcement successfully rescued the unharmed infant.

Bail has been set at $750,000 for each of the suspects.

This news has been read 696 times!