Mar 1, 2008 8:37 am US/Eastern
Driver, 2 Others Arrested In Abandoned Baby Case
Suspects Face Child Endangerment, Obstruction Charges
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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This baby girl was left abandoned inside a livery cab in Queens on Feb. 28, 2008.
CBS
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Police released this sketch of the man who abandoned a baby in a livery cab in Queens.
CBS
CBS 2HD News has learned that three arrests have been made in connection with the abandonment of a baby in a Queens Livery cab.
On 2:00 a.m. Saturday, police took livery cab driver Klever Sailema, 45, into custody, charging him with endangering the welfare of a child and with filing a false police report.
Also, they arrested 21-year-old Maria Siavichay and 24-year-old Marcelo Vinansaca. Both are from the Bronx.
Siavichay has also been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, while Vinansaca faces obstruction of governmental administration charges.
Police are seeking a fourth suspect in the case.
The NYPD believes Sailema and Siavichay, along with an unapprehended male, participated in the crime of abandoning the baby. Vinansaca is believed to have provided falso information to detectives investigating the case.
It's hard to understand why anyone would want to abandon a beautiful baby girl, hospital workers have named Lourdes.
Tim Jaccard, author of the "Baby Safe Haven" law said he believes the man who left the child wanted to do the right thing, and is convinced the troubled man called his crisis hotline for help.
"He spoke broken English. He wanted general information about the safe haven law and he was explicit about asking whether or not what it was in Queens what was the safe haven laws in Queens," Jaccard said.
Jaccard said he told the caller he could also leave the child with a responsible adult as long as the person immediately notified authorities.
When the man left the child in Kleaver Sailema's livery cab on Northern Blvd. in Queens he took her straight to the nearest safe haven, a fire house.
"His daughter's mother left him like three or four days ago and didn't come back. He told me he can't take care of the baby so he's looking to somebody, maybe family, to give the baby," said driver Klever Sailema.
"Baby Safe Haven" is working on a partnership with the 7-11 corporation. Soon mothers will be able to safely relinquish their babies at any 7-11 convenience store, 24 hours a day.
Nearly 450 signs have been posted locally to identify baby safe havens.
Baby Lourdes' abandonment was criminal. And police are still looking for her family.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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