Three suspects, including ‘family friend’, charged in kidnap of three-month-old boy, while his grandmother unloaded groceries – The friend was helping with errands and present when the infant was abducted
Yesenia Guadalupe Ramirez, 43, Jose Roman Portillo, 28, and Baldomeo Sandoval, 37, were arrested in connection to the Monday kidnapping of a San Jose infant
The trio are charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, child abduction and home invasion
Three-month-old Brandon Cuellar was recovered Tuesday, 20 hours after he was snatched from his grandmother’s apartment while she unloaded groceries outside
Video released by police shows the male suspect, identified as Jose Roman Portillo, walking down the sidewalk holding a baby carrier covered by a white blanket on March 25
Ramirez who was arrested on Monday, drove the grandmother and infant to run errands earlier in the day – she was identified as a person of interest after her story to police changed
Police also identified Ramirez’ boyfriend Sandoval Baldomeo and he was arrested as a suspect on Monday
The next day, police executing a search warrant against the home of the third suspect, Jose Roman Portillo, found the missing baby
Brandon was found there healthy and unharmed, and was taken to an area hospital ‘as a precaution’
Brandon’s relatives said Yesenia Ramirez befriended the child’s grandmother in church recently, and exhibited an unhealthy obsession with the baby
Ramirez instigated the shopping trip to the local Walmart and was present during the abduction

Three suspects have been arrested, in the kidnapping of a three-month-old while his grandmother unloaded groceries, one a female ‘family friend’ who drove the woman and her infant grandson to run errands the same day.
Baby Brandon Cuellar was snatched from an apartment in San Jose, California on Monday during the day. The baby was recovered unharmed and healthy on Tuesday, according to the San Jose Police Department. ‘Baby Brandon has been located,’ the Department tweeted Tuesday, adding that he would be ‘taken to a local hospital as a precaution but he has been located alive.’ They did not elaborate on where the boy was found or his condition.
‘A million thank yous to all who assisted.’
The suspects Jose Roman Portillo, 28, Yesenia Guadalupe Ramirez, 43, and Baldomeo Sandoval, 37, were arrested in connection to the kidnapping of 3-month-old Brandon Cuellar.
They are charged with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, child abduction and home invasion, announced Sgt. Christian Camarillo in a news conference Wednesday morning. He said those charges may change.


Guadalupe Ramirez, the only female suspect, believed to have a ‘relationship’ with the family played a crucial role in the abduction.
One male suspect police said, walked into a home in the 1000 block of Elm Street at around 1 p.m. Monday and left with the young boy.
Investigators released video footage that shows the male suspect walking down the sidewalk holding a baby carrier covered by a white blanket.
The family friend, 43-year-old Yesenia Guadalupe Ramirez of San Jose, was present when the child was taken, having acted as chauffeur for grandma and Brandon that day.
Ramirez was detained Monday as a ‘person of interest’ after her statement to police changed several times when they interviewed her.

Then, police said another San Jose resident, 37-year-old Baldomeo Sandoval had also been identified as a person of interest and interviewed. Ramirez and Sandoval were both arrested Monday.
The next day, the San Jose Police Department Covert Response Unit, MERGE Unit and Robbery Unit Detectives carried out a search warrant at the home of the third suspect, Jose Roman Portillo, 28, of San Jose.
San Jose Police spokesman Sgt. Christian Camarillo told reporters Tuesday that Ramirez was with Brandon’s grandmother when an unknown man snatched the infant.
‘This was a person who was with the grandmother yesterday when they went shopping, she was present at the apartment complex when this happened,’ he said.
‘There have been some inconsistencies with what she has told us. Obviously, drawing our attention to what she knows about this.’
According to family members, Ramirez formed a relationship with baby Brandon’s grandma through church and quickly became “obsessed” with 3-month-old Brandon.
Neighbors and family members also described the moments leading up to the grandma’s shopping trip with Ramirez. The suspect reportedly, was trying to convince the grandmother to go to Walmart to buy food and supplies for the baby using her grocery vouchers.
Within minutes of their return from the shopping trip, Portillo was spotted in surveillance footage walking out of the apartment with baby Brandon in a white carrier.
While the motives behind the kidnap have not been established, Brandon’s relatives suspect Ramirez and the third suspect, Baldomeo Sandoval are in a relationship but investigators, although this bit of information is yet to be confirmed.
Baby Brandon was found in Portillo home, 20 hours after he was reported missing.
‘This incident is a parent’s worst nightmare, and we are fortunate that we have the best department in the nation that helped bring forward a positive outcome.
‘This case yet again highlights the dedication and commitment of our women a nd men who go above and beyond every day to keep our community safe,’ said Chief of Police Anthony Mata.

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday morning, Camarillo said that Ramirez was a family friend, and that the kidnappers’ motives are still under investigation.
‘There is a human component aspect to this incident,’ he said, according to ABC7.
The baby’s ‘Mom is very traumatized right now. She needs her space,’ Sgt. Camarillo said.
According to police, the baby’s mother was at work at the time and his father is in jail.
‘Dad right now is out of the picture. He is incarcerated. I don’t know, you know, whether that is going to play into this, but obviously we are going to talk to him soon,’ Camarillo said Monday.
It’s unclear why the father is in jail.

As the surveillance footage showed, one of the male suspects walked into a home in the 1000 block of Elm Street at around 1 p.m. Monday and left with the young boy.
Police immediately released a video clip that shows the man walking down the sidewalk holding a baby carrier covered by a white blanket. Authorities however, did not issue an Amber Alert because investigators did not have a vehicle description.
In the early hours of the investigation, officers and FBI agents went door-to-door in the neighborhood to canvass for witnesses or information.
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