Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- An Amber Alert in Salt Lake City ended with the safe recovery of 18-month-old Josephina Jimenez and her mother.
- Holly Angelina Smith, the noncustodial mother, was arrested with three others for investigation of child kidnapping and obstruction of justice.
- Police say they found the child hidden under blankets in a shopping cart, with suspected drug paraphernalia nearby.
SALT LAKE CITY — A child and her noncustodial mother who were at the center of an Amber Alert issued Friday have both been found. Four people, including the mother, have been arrested in connection with the case.
Police issued the Amber Alert after they said 32-year-old Holly Angelina Smith abducted 18-month-old Josephina Jimenez in the Glendale neighborhood of Salt Lake City after a court took away Smith's custodial rights earlier that day.
"Despite being present at the hearing, and aware of the ruling, Smith is accused of leaving with the baby girl and she received help from at least three others," police said in a news release.
Salt Lake police and other law enforcement agencies scoured the area for the child and were concerned about the dropping temperatures as the night went on.
During the search, police say they received information to look in the area of Redwood Road and Paxton Avenue, where they found Smith and a man hiding behind a shopping cart.
A police booking affidavit says Smith initially gave officers false information about her identity. Once they confirmed who she was, they took her into custody. She then told police the child was in the shopping cart, under blankets. Police found the girl, and suspected drug paraphernalia in a jacket pocket inside the cart, according to the document.
Josephina did not appear to be injured and was checked by paramedics.
Smith admitted to officers that Josephina had been removed from her custody, and also said she refused to surrender the girl to authorities, according to the affidavit.
Smith was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of child kidnapping, child endangerment, and providing false or misleading information to law enforcement.
Three more individuals were also booked into jail:
- Jose Francisco Robles-Prieto, 47, for investigation of felony obstruction of justice and child endangerment. Police say he knew about the Amber Alert, found Smith and Jimenez, and "decided to hide at Prieto's residence for the night."
- Joey Jimenez, 41, for investigation of felony obstruction of justice. Jimenez helped transport and hide Smith and the child, police said.
- Eric Mathew Jimenez, 37, for investigation of felony obstruction of justice. Police say he was in a car used to help Smith hide and that he refused to tell officers where the girl was located.
Contributing: Garna Mejia, Cassidy Wixom
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