Advertisement

Reward Offered to Find Baby’s Kidnaper : Crime: Sears promises $5,000 for information leading to whoever disappeared with 4-month-old Steffany Zamora from its South Coast Plaza store.

Share
TIMES STAFF WRITER

Sears Roebuck & Co. offered a $5,000 reward Friday for information leading to whoever kidnaped a baby from its South Coast Plaza store April 22.

*

At a news conference to announce the award, Mario and Beatriz Zamora pleaded for anyone who has seen “anything suspicious” to call police.

The kidnaper, thought to be a woman who was an acquaintance of the family and who identified herself as Rosie Marquez, took 4-month-old Steffany and her aunt to a Sears photo studio Saturday, and while there, persuaded the aunt to go make a phone call, police said. The aunt, Esther Zamora, came back to find the baby and Marquez gone, police said.

Advertisement

The kidnaping has prompted the community to donate hundreds of dollars to the family while they search for Steffany, said the family’s attorney, Christine Karol Roberts of Newport Beach. The Salvation Army in Santa Ana has provided food since the couple has stopped working to devote their time passing out flyers.

David Collins of the San Francisco-based Kevin Collins Foundation also arrived in Orange County on Friday to help the couple mail flyers to about 60,000 addresses that include truck stops, campgrounds and social services throughout the United States.

The Collins Foundation was founded 11 years ago when Kevin Collins, the 10-year-old son of David Collins, was kidnaped. Kevin has not been found, but the foundation has helped to locate 16 other kidnaped children, Collins said.

Mario Zamora, 23, said and other relatives said they believe that Steffany is safe.

Steffany’s uncle Jesus Zamora, 25, said that one day before her disappearance, Marquez had asked his wife what type of formula the baby likes. Before taking the baby to the photo studio, Marquez took seven changes of clothes from the house, saying that she wanted the baby to be pictured in different outfits, relatives said.

“We believe that she is taking care of her,” Jesus Zamora said.

But Steffany’s mother was not so sure.

“I still wake up in the middle of the night wondering if (Steffany) is cold, if she’s hungry,” Beatriz Zamora said. “And when I close my eyes to go back to sleep, all I see is her face.”

Marquez is in her early 30s, about 5 feet tall and between 180 and 200 pounds. She has stained, rotten teeth.

Advertisement

The family asks anyone who wants to make a donation to contact Roberts at (714) 955-9440 or send checks to the Steffany Zamora Reward Fund, 1300 Dove St., Suite 200, Newport Beach, CA 92660.

Costa Mesa police are asking anyone with information to call (714) 754-5280.

Advertisement