(NewsNation) — A Florida couple faces charges after driving over 45 hours to Washington, where they allegedly kidnapped their cousin’s infant daughter, The Seattle Times reported.
Marlly Jarina Ardila-Urrego, 33, and her husband Chun Ho Vincent Lai, 42, were apprehended last week following a complex scheme involving abduction, burglary, and assault, authorities report.
The events unfolded when Lai, posing as an Amazon delivery driver, entered the mother’s apartment, located about 20 miles south of Seattle, Washington, according to law enforcement officials and surveillance footage.
Once inside, Lai allegedly attacked and restrained the mother before snatching the infant along with two cell phones and a tablet.
The victim, who is a cousin of Ardila-Urrego, recounted to police that Ardila-Urrego had informed her of a planned delivery of a bed frame for the baby’s two-year-old sibling on February 20. Later that day, as the victim’s husband left for work, a knock at the door revealed Lai, disguised as an Amazon delivery driver. When she opened the door, she was assaulted, restrained, and left in a room with her two-year-old while Ardila-Urrego entered the apartment and took the baby.
The baby’s mother is Ardila-Urrego’s cousin, and she and Lai “came to Washington for the explicit reason of taking this baby, by force,” Senior Deputy Prosecutor Jennifer Phillips wrote in charges filed Thursday against the couple.
Upon breaking free, the mother discovered her baby missing and sought help from a neighbor, who promptly contacted emergency services, The Seattle Times reported.
Less than four hours later, authorities intercepted the couple on Interstate 90, where the baby was found unharmed and reunited with her parents.
Authorities have yet to establish a clear motive for the crime but stated that the family was targeted because of their acquaintance with the defendants and the fact that they had children.
The arrest was made possible after authorities tracked Ardila-Urrego’s cellphone and discovered Lai’s connection to a vehicle in close proximity.
The couple, residing in Lake Worth Beach, Florida, approximately 60 miles north of Miami, face charges including first-degree kidnapping, robbery, burglary, and second-degree assault of a child, The Seattle Times reported.
As they await further legal proceedings, both remain in custody with a bail set at $750,000. Their arraignment is scheduled for March 7, according to court records.
