A chilling incident unfolded at the Barrio Obrero Public Hospital in Asunción, Paraguay, where a woman, later identified as 39-year-old Argentine national Natalia Edith González, was apprehended for allegedly abducting a newborn baby. Security footage captured the woman, disguised in a grey uniform and face mask, leaving a hospital room with a baby-shaped bundle concealed in her arms. After briefly observing her surroundings in the corridor, she swiftly exited the hospital grounds. Gonzalez was apprehended a mere 50 meters from the Argentine border, with the stolen infant in her possession.
The abduction followed a deceptive scheme orchestrated by Gonzalez, who had fabricated a pregnancy to her family and partner. Driven by this fabricated narrative, she meticulously scouted three different hospitals before targeting the Barrio Obrero Public Hospital and its unsuspecting victim, a 19-year-old new mother. Before the abduction, Gonzalez interacted with the baby’s grandmother, further cementing her fabricated persona. Posing as a nurse visiting an ailing uncle, she gained the family’s trust, which ultimately facilitated her swift escape with the newborn.
The infant’s grandmother recounted drinking tea with Gonzalez, who convincingly portrayed herself as a hospital nurse. The unsuspecting grandmother later questioned her daughter about the baby’s whereabouts, only to be informed that the “nurse” had taken the child to the pediatric ward. The grandmother, immediately recognizing the deception, alerted her daughter and they gave chase, witnessing Gonzalez fleeing with the baby. The incident triggered a nationwide alert, with law enforcement focusing on border crossings to apprehend the suspect and recover the infant.
The suspect’s hasty escape involved a bus journey to Mercado 4, where she purchased clothing for herself and the baby. Subsequently, she hired a taxi to Loma Pytá, inquiring about transportation to Clorinda, Argentina, just across the border. This crucial information led authorities to intercept her near the border, where she was apprehended despite resisting arrest. The baby was safely returned to her distraught teenage mother and is reportedly in good health.
The investigation, led by Prosecutor Laura Finestra, revealed the depth of Gonzalez’s deception. She had misrepresented her whereabouts to her partner, claiming she was at a hospital in Formosa, Argentina, giving birth. Instead, she had crossed into Paraguay with the express intent of stealing a baby. This premeditation is further underscored by her visits to two other hospitals prior to the successful abduction at Barrio Obrero Public Hospital. Gonzalez’s partner, unaware of her fabricated pregnancy and scheme, was reportedly shocked by the revelation.
Prosecutor Finestra confirmed that evidence retrieved from Gonzalez’s phone corroborates her calculated plan and movements. Although Gonzalez has attempted to implicate others and offered contradictory accounts, investigators have dismissed these claims as fabricated. While Gonzalez has invoked her right to remain silent on the advice of her lawyer, the investigation continues, aiming to solidify the case against her. Current information has not linked the crime to a larger human trafficking operation.
