Police: Woman Killed Houston Mother, Took Her Newborn
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — The 6-week-old daughter of a woman who was stabbed to death has been found alive in a Houston apartment and a suspect is under arrest, police said Thursday.
Police announced on Twitter that Shamali Flores was being evaluated at a hospital. A few hours later Thursday they announced the arrest of a woman who recently suffered a miscarriage.
Police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news conference Thursday that 28-year-old Erika Miranda-Alvarez is charged with capital murder in the death of 33-year-old Carolina Flores. Acevedo says Miranda-Alvarez knew Flores, who was killed Tuesday.
He says Miranda-Alvarez hid her miscarriage from family members and was claiming that she had just returned this week from the hospital after giving birth.
HPD Homicide Investigators provide an update into case of missing 6-week old Shamali Flores located this morning. https://t.co/Sose9pBb7l
— Houston Police (@houstonpolice) December 21, 2017
He says investigators were at a southwest Houston apartment complex early Thursday when they happened to spot a couple holding a baby. They questioned the couple and determined that Miranda-Alvarez was holding 6-week-old Shamali Flores, who was unharmed.
The suspect's boyfriend has not been charged and Acevedo says it appears he wasn't aware of the miscarriage.
Investigators initially believed the baby was with her father but the man was found late Tuesday in San Antonio and Shamali wasn't with him. Police say he's not a suspect or person of interest in kidnapping or murder.
(© Copyright 2017 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)