A Florida couple has been arrested for allegedly kidnapping a baby from a Washington state city where one of the suspects posed as an Amazon delivery driver in an elaborate ruse, according to court documents obtained by Fox 13.
King County prosecutors have charged Marlly Jarina Ardila-Urrego, 33, and Chun Ho Vincent Lai, 42, with first-degree kidnapping, first-degree burglary, second-degree assault of a child, first-degree robbery and second-degree assault, with aggravating factors for preying on a vulnerable victim and the sophistication of planning.
According to charging documents obtained by Fox 13, the two planned to kidnap the infant of one of Ardila-Urrego's relatives. The couple lives in Florida, and traveled all the way up to Washington state solely to kidnap the 7-month-old baby, prosecutors said.
Around 9:30 a.m. on Feb. 20, shortly after the victim's husband left for work, Vincent Lai, allegedly posed as an Amazon deliveryman holding a box, and knocked on the mother's Federal Way apartment door, prosecutors said. The woman, who was expecting a delivery, opened the door after looking through the peephole and was punched multiple times in the face and knocked to the ground, according to charging papers.
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The mother was zip-tied around her wrists and ankles, and her 2-year-old child's mouth was taped shut, according to prosecutors. The victim later told police she also saw an unknown woman enter her apartment with the man, wearing a white mask and dress.
Court documents described the ordeal, saying that the couple put the baby in the Amazon box, then pushed the mother into a bedroom with her 2-year-old child. They gagged her with baby clothes and tape, then taped her other child's mouth shut, and said they would stab the toddler if she did not cooperate, according to court documents.
Once the couple took off, the victim was able to loosen and remove the zip ties from her ankles and ran outside to search for her baby with her other child.
The mother was able to quickly call 911, despite the couple stealing her phone, and gave statements about the suspects and what happened. The victim's father also spoke with police and said he believed Ardila-Urrego was behind the abduction, saying she had mentioned something about having a baby and selling it for money.
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A neighbor's surveillance footage showed a white sedan with no front license plate leaving the apartment complex's parking lot at 9:46 a.m., prosecutors said. The neighbor said she "witnessed a male and female running back to the white vehicle, carrying a red bag that appeared to be heavy," charging documents said.
After collecting evidence and surveillance video, FBI agents were able to track the location of Ardila-Urrego's phone, according to charging documents. They also found a prior police incident of a domestic-violence-related "involvement" between Ardila-Urrego and Lai in Florida, linking the FBI to information about Lai's car, prosecutors said.
Ardila-Urrego, Lai and the kidnapped 7-month-old were all in the car, and the Florida couple were arrested. The baby was returned home. Bail for Ardila-Urrego and Lai was set at $750,000 and their arraignment is scheduled for 9 a.m. on March 7 in Kent.
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No clear motive is referenced in the charging documents, and prosecutors said there is no evidence "mental illness or substance abuse contributed to this crime." It appeared "the victims were targeted because they were known to the defendants and known to have children," prosecutors stated.
