Thread: Man, Pregnant Woman Sell Children in Mexico

http://nctimes.com/articles/2006/06/...2_206_3_06.txt

Man, pregnant woman arrested on suspecion of selling children in Mexico

By: North County Times wire services -

SAN DIEGO -- A 20-year-old pregnant woman and a 37-year-old man were behind bars Saturday, suspected of kidnapping the woman's children and selling some of them in Mexico, authorities said.

Jessica Karin Heird and Edward Leader were picked up at the San Ysidro Port of Entry by U.S. Marshals last night, according to Tania Tyler with the U.S. Marshals Service.

Six children -- three of Heird's and three of Leader's -- were involved and five children aged between 18 months and 15 years were recovered, Tyler said. One of Leader's children was still missing in Mexico.


The couple allegedly kidnapped and sold Heird's 3-year-old son and 18- month-old daughter, but U.S. and Mexican officials were able to recover the children, Tyler said. It was not clear if Leader was the father of Heird's children.

Heird's mother will take two of her grandchildren, although it was not clear which two. The other three children will be placed with a guardian, Tyler said. The sixth child remains missing.

Leader and Heird had outstanding warrants for allegedly kidnapping two of Heird's children from their grandmother in Mohave, Ariz.

The case began in Las Vegas in 2002, when Heird, a runaway juvenile, became involved with Leader, Tyler said.

Social Services workers found Heird through a complaint lodged in Las Vegas about child neglect and the then teenaged Heird was returned to her mother -- as were her children.

Custody of Heird's two children were then given to their grandmother, Tyler said.

Heird ran away again with Leader and they allegedly took the two children, Tyler said. When Heird turned 18, the city of Mohave pursued felony kidnapping charges against her.

Recently, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received information that Heird and Leader were spotted in Baja and the U.S. Marshals here in San Diego were asked to help, Tyler said.

The Marshals worked with Mexican officials to recover the children.

She remained in Las Colinas Detention Facility in Santee on a fugitive warrant, a jail clerk said.

Her bail was set at $12,500, pending arraignment in San Diego on Tuesday, the clerk said.

Leader has also been booked into the county jail on a no-bail fugitive warrant but will be sent to Arizona for prosecution, the clerk said.

Bail was set at 12,500 $?, it's unbelievable.

My favorite part I heard on the news is that the woman is 6 mos. pregnant with yet another child. Yikes!

Why doesn't this woman get her tubes tied? She already has 3 children at 20 and the fourth is on the way.