Woman Pleads Guilty to Kidnaping 3-Month-Old Child
A Pasadena woman who applied for a baby-sitting job with a Van Nuys couple, then stole their 3-month-old son, pleaded guilty Wednesday to kidnaping.
Cossette Vivas, 44, told police that she took the baby Jan. 2 because she recently had miscarried and feared that her boyfriend would leave her unless they had a child to raise, court records show.
Overcome with guilt, Vivas deposited the infant, Rudy L. Ortega, in a pew at a Highland Park church the next day, her attorney said. The boy was returned to his parents unharmed.
Vivas faces a maximum of 11 years in state prison when she is sentenced April 1 in Van Nuys Superior Court.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
