A woman that pretended she was pregnant, and collected gifts from unknowing friends at a baby shower, later kidnapped a one-month old baby, according to the Charlotte Observer, and now faces attempted murder against the mother, three counts of kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and assault on a child younger than age 12.
According to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police, A.E.P., 24, has been arrested on charges stemming from a complex plan that involved presenting another woman's baby as her own.
On May 1 the scheme was revealed through police investigations that led them to A.E.P's seemingly unenlightened boyfriend, who was found with the baby four hours after the kidnapping.
Though the mother allegedly fought off a knife attack, the child was recovered unharmed.
Captain Rod Golding said that items found in A.E.P.'s home, including a crib, were gifts from a recent baby shower that her friends had given her. Golding commented that the circumstances were "incredibly bizarre."
Some time prior to 10:30 a.m. on May 1 officers were alerted to a kidnapping. The mother told police that after recently becoming acquainted with A.E.P., who offered to find the new mother a job, drove the mother and her two children back to A.E.P.'s apartment in South Charlotte.
Once they reached A.E.P.'s apartment complex she allegedly drew a knife on the mother and announced that she was taking her children. A.E.P. then left the vehicle and took both children – the baby was a month old and the other child four – into an apartment.
Moments later A.E.P. returned to the car with just the older sibling.
For 40 minutes, according to the mother, A.E.P. drove them around. Also during this time A.E.P. allegedly tried to bludgeon the mother. Eventually the mother was able to convince A.E.P. if she would take her back to her own apartment the mother would agree to A.E.P.'s demands.
A.E.P. told that the mother that she had to convince her husband that two men kidnapped her baby.
The mother's husband called the police when she told him the false story.
While each parent told the events of the evening, in two differing accounts, officers were able to discern that A.E.P. was the true suspect in the kidnapping. Police went to A.E.P.'s apartment and her boyfriend answered the door.
A.E.P.'s boyfriend readily told police that he had a baby in the apartment, but he believed that the child was his own – as that was what A.E.P. had told him.
Mother and daughter were reunited at approximately 2:20 a.m.
Golding added, "Other than a wet diaper, she's fine."
A.E.P. has been remanded to protective custody. This is not A.E.P.'s first brush with the law, in 2004 she was charged with assault in battery; in 2005 for misdemeanor breaking and entering; in 2009 for communicating threats.
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