Disturbing CCTV footage shows how a baby was disguised under pink tissue paper and smuggled out of a Mexican hospital. Netflix has just released a true crime film called A Child of My Own, which tells the story of Alejandra Mendoza, a wife who was desperate to be a mother.
Alejandra had married her husband Arturo when she was young, and the pair both desired a child more than anything. Tragically, Alejandra suffered three miscarriages and believed she would be cast out by her husband and his family if she could not provide him with a son.
The Kidnapping Caught on CCTV
Taking drastic measures, she decided to fake her third pregnancy right through to the 'birth' stage, and ended up taking another woman's newborn daughter to pass off as her own. The Netflix film is a mixture of dramatisations, as well as real-life interviews and harrowing CCTV and home footage - including CCTV of the shocking moment Alejandra stole the baby.
In the footage, which does not feature in the film's trailer or in previews, Alejandra is seen walking down various pathways, carrying a large gift bag with pink tissue paper sticking out. She is seen walking in one direction before turning and walking the other way, and she is later seen exiting the front of the hospital, still carrying the gift bag.
Father's Plea and Arrest
Further news reports from the time of the incident show the baby's father in tears, pleading for whoever took his daughter to return her. He says: "I was just told that my baby was kidnapped from this hospital, the General Hospital. I love my baby so much." Talking directly to viewers, he adds: "Please, help me get my baby back. If you have her, I'll give you my life, everything I have. But please, give her back to me, please."
The hospital raised the alarm about the missing baby, and hours later, Alejandra was arrested at a nearby hotel, and the baby was safely returned to Mayra.
Conviction and Aftermath
Alejandra was sentenced to just over 13 years in prison for unlawful kidnapping of a minor, and she has since been released, having served her time. A Child of My Own features interviews with the real Alejandra as she explains the reasoning behind her drastic actions.
Feeling as though she owed her family a child, she was determined to keep her miscarriage a secret from them. It was while she was working at a hospital that she claimed she came across a woman named Mayra, who was expecting a baby Alejandra alleged she did not want to keep. Alejandra further claimed they secured a deal that, after giving birth, Mayra would hand her baby over to Alejandra, who would raise her as her own.
The courts would later find this to be untrue, and a prison psychiatrist found she suffered from 'disassociation', which led her to believe certain fabricated encounters were real. The real Mayra, who speaks in the documentary, said she did not meet Alejandra until the day she gave birth, with Alejandra telling Mayra she was a social worker carrying out surveys.
It was while Mayra paid a visit to the bathroom that Alejandra took her newborn daughter, put her in a gift bag, covered it with pink tissue paper, and carried her out of the hospital. Mayra's baby is safe and well, and is now living as a happy and healthy teenager. A Child of My Own is on Netflix.
