October 26, 2024 - 3:51 AM
PARIS (AP) — A prematurely born baby boy found in an Amsterdam hotel room after being abducted by his parents from a French maternity ward is doing well, a Belgian prosecutor said Saturday.
The baby's 23-year-old father and 25-year-old mother were arrested, prosecutor Vincent Macq told a news conference.
Police found them along with the baby's grandmother, and two other kids aged 3 and 10, Macq said.
“We worked like crazy for three days, we are on our knees but we are happy, proud and delighted,” he said.
The relentless search for 17-day-old Santiago began on Oct. 22, when he went missing from a Paris-region hospital. His parents were immediately identified as the chief suspects.
French police issued an alert with appeals for information broadcast on radio, television and online warning that the premature baby's life was in danger as he needed constant medical care.
The inquiry then moved to Belgium, where police found a car thought to belong to the parents. In the vehicle was a SIM card and a phone's serial number, which eventually allowed them to track the couple's whereabouts. It appeared they had crossed the border to the Netherlands.
The saga ended Friday night, when police in Netherlands were able to identify the hotel room where the family was staying.
“The arrest occurred without any hurdles,” Macq said, adding that the baby's life was not in danger. “The grandmother is taking care of the two other kids.”
The 3-year old is thought to be Santiago's sister, while the link between the 10-year-old boy and the family has yet to be established, prosecutors said.
News from © The Associated Press, 2024