The woman accused of abducting a toddler from her Arizona home last month has been indicted on felony charges.
On Friday, March 6, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced that 23-year-old Marina Noriega was indicted by a grand jury on charges of custodial interference and second-degree burglary related to the kidnapping of 3-year-old Kehlani Rogers.
Prosecutors said the custodial interference charge stems from Noriega’s alleged attempts to keep the child away from her parents, while the burglary count stems from illegally being in their home, AZFamily reported. Noriega is being held on a $250,000 cash bond.
Kehlani was reported missing from Avondale, Ariz., according to an Amber Alert issued by the Avondale Police Department.
She had last been seen at around 11:30 p.m. local time on Feb. 20, police said, and was located safe on Feb. 22.
According to court documents obtained by local outlet 12 News, Kehlani’s parents told police they had welcomed a “random woman,” who needed a place to stay, into their home.
On the morning of Feb. 21, they woke up to find the woman and their child gone.
During the intense search that ensued, investigators received a tip that led them to identify Noriega as the suspect, Avondale police said in an update.
A woman told police she had given a ride to Noriega and the child to the city of Maricopa when Noriega allegedly disclosed her plan to take a train to California, per the court documents cited by 12 News.
Surveillance footage at a local business in Maricopa allegedly confirmed to police that Noriega was there with the child.
On the morning of Feb. 22, investigators located Noriega and Kehlani at a gas station after they were sighted in Phoenix, Avondale police said in an update that day.
Citing the court documents, AZFamily reported that Noriega allegedly told police that she was Kehlani’s mother, claiming that the girl was born in Sacramento and abducted from the hospital. She allegedly told investigators she came to Arizona looking for family and “coincidentally” found her long-lost child, before eventually admitting that the child was not her daughter and saying she made a mistake.
“I shouldn’t have took advantage of the situation and done what I did. You’re right, that’s my fault,” Noriega told authorities, per AZFamily.
Noriega is scheduled to be arraigned on March 11, according to AZFamily. Her trial is tentatively set to begin on July 8.
