Nurse Accused of Hiring Hit Man to Kill Patient
A maternity nurse was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of hiring a hit man to kill a patient so she could take the woman’s 2-month-old baby, police said.
Anna Ramos, 26, a nurse at the Maternity Center of Vermont, was arrested at her home in Los Angeles after Manuel Becerra, 26, allegedly confessed that she offered him $1,000 to kill the mother, Cmdr. David Kalish of the Los Angeles Police Department said.
Eugaina Quintanilla, 19, of Los Angeles, who had been Ramos’ patient throughout the pregnancy, allegedly was lured to the maternity center Tuesday when Ramos told her she had a medical appointment, Kalish said.
“Quintanilla went into a back room to be examined, where she was drugged,” Kalish said. “She saw the suspect [Becerra] and Ramos holding her baby, Celeste. She started to walk out, but the suspect walked toward her and hit her over the head with a vase before viciously attacking her.”
Quintanilla remained in a hospital in serious but stable condition, he said.
Based on interviews with Ramos’ relatives, Kalish said, police believe the nurse planned to claim the baby girl as her own.
Police arrested Becerra and two other people, whose names and connection to the attack were not released.
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