Woman Abducted Toddler She Thought Was Her 'Long-Lost Child': Cops

A 23-year-old woman has been arrested after authorities said she abducted a 2-year-old girl, claiming that she was her biological daughter. The incident occurred on the night of February 20, when the accused, Marina Noriega, arrived at a family home in Avondale.

Noreiga told the family she was transient and needed a place to stay. According to her arrest documents, she claimed she had arrived from California and did not know anybody in Avondale because her father and boyfriend were in jail.

Despite some initial apprehension, the family decided to let Noriega stay at their place for the night. The family, including a couple, their three young children, and a relative, went to sleep in their rooms, while Noriega remained on the couch.

On the morning of February 21, the family discovered that Noriega had left the home with their 2-year-old daughter, Kehlani Rogers. The family contacted Avondale police, who issued an Amber Alert and launched a search operation.

Authorities later obtained surveillance footage showing Noriega pushing Kehlani’s stroller. As authorities sought help from the public, swift action by employees of a convenience store and a moving company saved the child.

On February 22, a QukTrip store guard, C. Edmonds, noticed Noriega and Kehlani at a gas station in Phoenix and recognized them from the Amber Alert. He contacted nearby Camelback Moving crew members, and together, they blocked Noriega’s vehicle from moving. The Phoenix Police were immediately called.

Officials soon arrived at the site, arrested Noriega, and recovered Kehlani. The child was then finally reunited with her family. Meanwhile, Noriega made surprising claims during her interrogation. She believed Kehlani was her biological daughter, who was kidnapped from the hospital shortly after her birth in Sacramento in September 2021.

Noriega further claimed that she co-incidentally stumbled upon her biological daughter while looking for a place to stay in Avondale, and decided to take her away. The accused was eventually shown evidence that Kehlani was not actually her daughter, after which she regretted her decision to abduct her.

“They asked me to stay. They were helping me … I shouldn't have took advantage of the situation and done what I did. You're right, that's my fault,” Noriega told the investigative officials. She also became frustrated on learning that Kehlani had no relationship with her.

She exclaimed, “I shouldn't give a f*** about her … it's not my daughter, so I shouldn't give a f***. If DNA proved otherwise, then I would give a f***, but it's not my daughter.” Noriega has been charged with one count of custodial interference. A judge has set her bond at $250,000 and has asked her to stay away from the victim and her family.

Meanwhile, QukTrip and Camelback Moving have appreciated their employees for their efforts in locating Kehlani. Chad Olsen, the President of Camelback Moving, said in a statement, “We are incredibly proud of our community heroes: Robert Hernandez, Ralph Vollmert, Christopher Dixon, Kevin Place, Kevin Kimes, Gerardo Galacia, Kobe Brown, and Michael Macallum for their courage, quick thinking, and teamwork.”