SAN JOSE, Calif. - The two people charged with kidnapping a 3-month-old baby in San Jose last month had tried to take the baby multiple times before, the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office said.The district attorney's office on Thursday brought additional kidnapping charges against Yesenia Ramirez, 43, and Jose Portillo, 28, accused of abducting baby Brandon Cuellar on April 25.
Brandon was found unharmed the next day.Authorities believe Ramirez helped hatched the plan to kidnap the child after befriending the baby's grandmother at church and becoming obsessed with him.Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen on the charges brought against the suspects in the kidnapping of a 3-month-old baby in San Jose.Prosecutors revealed on Thursday that the suspects plotted and unsuccessfully attempted to kidnap baby Brandon at least three other times, dating back weeks before the actual kidnapping.Prosecutors said in one attempt Portillo posed as a Child Protective Services worker who was there to take custody of the baby.
But the family was suspicious and refused to turn the child over.The boy's family did call CPS and the agency stated that they had not sent anyone to remove Brandon from the home, authorities said. "Ramirez was present at the victim’s home when this happened.
Evidence showed that the two suspects plotted this attempt on March 14," the district attorney's office said in a statement.In the two other attempts, Ramirez and Portillo planned to kidnap Brandon at a local Walmart, once on March 28, and once the morning on the day of the actual kidnappings, authorities said.