Baby Lost but Nobody Knows How It Happened

A Bell Gardens couple told police Sunday that their 8-month-old daughter is missing, but neither the couple nor investigators are certain where, or how, the child disappeared, police said.

Micaele Valasquez, 38, and David Prado, 37, reported that they had gone to a party Saturday and left the child in care of Velasquez’s 20-year-old daughter at their home in the 6500 block of Ajax Avenue, Bell Gardens Police Lt. Dale Pierce said. The young woman said she last saw the child, Jandel Prado, in her crib at about midnight, he said.

At 9 a.m. Sunday, the couple called police to report the child was missing. They told investigators they could have returned, picked up the child and could have taken her to a fast-food taco stand at Otis and Florence avenues in nearby Bell, Pierce said.

The couple said they went to the taco stand, but they are not certain that they took the baby, the lieutenant said. Workers at the stand do not recall a couple being there with a baby, he said.

“It has not been established that they did in fact go to the taco stand,” Pierce said. “We’re not sure it did or did not happen. What we’re hoping is that they took the child to the taco stand and somebody saw they were too intoxicated and took the child to keep her safe. They’re having trouble recalling the events.”

Pierce said police had contacted hospitals in the areas and other law enforcement agencies but had not been able to locate the child.

No charges have been filed against the couple, he said.