Abducted Infant Found Unharmed

A 1-month-old boy abducted Friday was reunited with his mother Sunday when a bloodhound led police to a Port Hueneme house where the infant had been taken.

Oscar Maldonado of Oxnard was found unharmed about 9 a.m. after officers received information on his whereabouts.

While officers were at the Port Hueneme house, a 17-year-old Santa Paula girl, who is suspected of abducting the child, pulled up in a vehicle with Oscar.

The teen, who had befriended Oscar’s mother on Friday, was arrested on suspicion of child abduction and booked without bail into Juvenile Hall, police said. Her name was not released.

Detectives believe the suspect recently suffered a miscarriage and took 21-year-old Patricia Maldonado’s son to make up for her loss.

According to police, Maldonado was shopping with her son at an Oxnard department store Friday when the suspect approached, claiming to have a child about the same age.

The suspect suggested they drive to Santa Paula to have photos of the babies taken together. In Santa Paula, the suspect stopped at an orchard and told Maldonado to pick some fruit. When Maldonado got out of the car, the suspect drove off with Oscar, police said.