Woman Charged in Infant Abduction
Former prison guard Paula Lynn Roach was arraigned Thursday for allegedly kidnapping a 1-month-old Texas girl from a Wal-Mart parking lot and dragging her mother across the pavement as she desperately clung to Roach’s car.
Roach, 24, told a judge she understood the charges against her and under Texas law could face a term of five years to 99 years in prison if convicted of aggravated kidnapping. Bail was set at $200,000.
Roach was not required to enter a plea. She will be asked to enter a plea at a later hearing.
The infant, Nancy Crystal Chavez, was returned in good health to her mother Wednesday night after a 26-hour ordeal during which she was snatched from a minivan in Abilene.
More to Read
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.