A Fake Nurse Allegedly Tried To Steal A Baby & Claimed She Was New At The Hospital

Police say a woman is in custody after an incident at a hospital in California where she allegedly tried to steal a newborn baby.

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The incident happened at the Riverside University Health System — Medical Center in Moreno Valley on Thursday, July 14, police reported.

The suspect went into the hospital and posed as a "newly hired nurse" to access the maternity ward where newborns are kept, the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.

Police say she went into one patient's room and "identified herself as a nurse," then tried to take the patient's baby.

Hospital staff confronted the suspect, and she ran off, but authorities later identified and captured the woman in her home.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for her residence and found "additional items of evidentiary value," police stated.

Jesenea Miron, 23, has since been charged with kidnapping and child stealing, jail records show. She was still in jail on Thursday and is being held on a $1 million bail.

Authorities haven't shared any details about her possible motivation, and it wasn't immediately clear whether she knew the child or the mother involved.

Miron has pleaded not guilty, according to court records obtained by CNN.

Her lawyers have not yet commented on the case.

Jennifer Cruikshank, CEO of the Riverside University Health System, said her staff are looking into how an intruder managed to get past security and access a hospital room. She added in a statement to CNN that security is being "reviewed and reinforced."

"Riverside University Health System - Medical Center 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," she said, per CNN.

This article's right-hand cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.