Woman impersonated nurse to try to kidnap infant at Moreno Valley hospital, authorities say
A Moreno Valley woman accused of impersonating a nurse to try to kidnap an infant from a hospital has been arrested by authorities in Riverside County.
Jesenea Miron, 23, was booked early Friday into the Robert Presley Detention Center on suspicion of kidnapping, jail records show.
Deputies assigned to Riverside University Health System Medical Center were notified by hospital staffers at 10:30 a.m. Thursday of a person impersonating a nurse at the facility, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department.
“During the course of the investigation, deputies learned a female entered the hospital posing as a newly hired nurse and gained access to a medical unit where newborn infants were present,” deputies said. “The female entered a patient’s hospital room and identified herself as a nurse.”
She then tried to take the infant and was confronted by hospital staffers who notified security, deputies said. The woman fled before she could be apprehended by security or law enforcement.
Malik Patt, 20, and Jason Payne, 44, are connected to a series of crimes that includes at least 11 robberies and three killings, authorities said.
Investigators identified the woman as Miron and served a search warrant in the 11000 block of Weber Street in Moreno Valley, where she was found and arrested, deputies said. She is being held on $1-million bail.
“Additional items of evidentiary value” were found in the residence, deputies said. Details about the items were not provided Friday.
Hospital Chief Executive Jennifer Cruikshank said the facility has multiple layers of security to protect patients and staff.
The hospital is working with the Sheriff’s Department to investigate how Miron accessed the patient’s room and interacted with the family, Cruikshank said.
“Our security protocols have been reviewed and reinforced, and we have additional sheriff’s deputies on campus,” she said in a statement. “We are also working with the family to address their concerns and ensure their emotional well-being.”
Anyone with information on the case is asked to call Investigator Galvan or Master Investigator Merrill at the Moreno Valley sheriff’s station, at (951) 486-6700, or the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at (951) 776-1099.
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