Deputies say woman posed as baby photographer, drugged mother to steal newborn
PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - A Washington woman and her 16-year-old daughter have been arrested after deputies say they posed as newborn photographers and then drugged a woman in an attempt to steal her baby.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office arrested the suspects on Friday, February 14. According to deputies, a woman called 911 on Feb. 5 after she began to feel numbness, drowsy, and was vomiting. She told firefighters that she believed she had been drugged.
"The victim told deputies that she believed she was drugged by a woman who had come to her house posing as a photographer," the Sheriff's Office said. "The victim reported that she had met the suspect through a post on a newborn baby group on Facebook, where the suspect had advertised free photos of newborn babies so the suspect could build her portfolio."
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The mother said the suspects came to her home on three occasions to photograph her baby. She said the suspect took several selfies with her baby and was seen wiping fingerprints off things she had touched at the victim's home.
The victim says on the third visit, the suspects gave her a cupcake to eat and she immediately felt ill. She told the suspects to leave and then noticed her house keys were missing.
The Sheriff's Office said through their investigation they were able to identify additional victims. They say evidence shows that the suspect was planning to steal a newborn baby and raise it as her own.
Both the 38-year-old suspect and her teenage daughter were arrested on felony charges.
"If you have been contacted by a woman named 'Juliette Parker', 'Juliette Noel' or 'Juliette Gains' who posed as a photographer and believe you are a victim, please give our detectives a call as soon as possible at 253-798-7724 or send us a private message."