A newborn who was abducted from a Jacksonville, Florida, hospital has been found alive – 18 years later. The family reportedly cried “tears of joy” after hearing the news from a detective.
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In 2008, Shanara said, “I wonder, ‘What does she like?”
Officials in Florida said she was found on Friday and that the SC woman she believed to be her mother had been arrested for kidnapping.
She said Kamiyah and Williams were involved in church, and Williams was very active in the community. Williams was taken into custody and is being held locally.
At one point, Mobley walked up to Williams, who was behind a barrier, and touched her hands. Authorities sealed the hospital, stopped every visitor, halted buses and trains and put airport police on alert for a baby – all to no avail. Williams’ mother, father and pastor were also present.
Investigators called to investigate the kidnapping, only had a poor quality video from the hospital security system that showed the kidnapper leaving the hospital with the child.
According to WJXT, Ms Mobley’s mother, Shanara, was just 16 at the time of her baby’s birth. She was arrested Friday in SC, one day after DNA tests confirmed that the 18-year-old girl was indeed Mobley. She recently submitted a DNA sample to authorities and the sample came back positive this past Thursday night, he said.
She said she met Williams when Kamiyah was 2 years old.
At a Friday news conference of local, state and federal officials, Jacksonville Sheriff Mike Williams said the victim began to have an inclination beginning a couple months ago. “She has a lot to process”, the sheriff said.
Kamiya’s parents said they never gave up hope of finding her. A booking photo of Gloria Williams, 51, is not yet available.
Though the case is nearly two decades old, Sherriff Williams says the real investigation is only just beginning.
Kamiyah’s disappearance in 1998 made national news and continued to garner attention as it turned cold over the years, becoming the rarest of rare things: a child’s hospital abduction that was never solved.
Ms Alls said: “I don’t think it’s true”.
A DNA test confirmed her real identity.
For the last seven years, Jenkins has lived right across the street from Williams.
Gloria Williams was arrested at her home on Friday morning and will be sent to Jacksonville to face charges.
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Kamiyah, is obviously devastated, but she’s defending the only mother she’s ever known saying in a Facebook post, “My mother raised me with everything I needed and most of all everything I wanted”. She told Williams that she was “praying for” and “loved” her. Williams was denied bond at the hearing. “I have to tell those people thank you for what they’ve done”, Aiken said.
