11-month-old boy also missing when mother attempts to pick up
baby Sunday night
An 11-month-old boy is the victim of a custody-related kidnapping over the weekend.
Noah Serrano was left Saturday with his maternal grandmother, Marion Smith, 52, of Morgan Hill, by his mother. According to Police Lt. Joe Sampson, there was some discussion between the mother, Laura Cadei, and Smith about a relationship Cadei was involved in. There was also a disagreement, Sampson said, about the future of the relationship with the child’s father.
Cadei came to the police station at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday night to report that, when she returned to Smith’s residence as planned to pick up her son, she found the locks changed on the residence; Smith was not answering her cell phone.
She then began calling other family members and friends, but was unable to locate either Smith or Noah. At that point, Sampson said, she decided to go to police.
An Amber Alert was not posted, Sampson said, because the child is not believed to be in danger.
“We do not suspect foul play,” he said Monday. “We believe the child will be well-taken care of by his grandmother … We contacted family court and learned that she (Smith) had called yesterday to learn the procedure for a grandparent to obtain legal custody of a grandchild.
“We believe the grandmother wants to hold the child until she can obtain custody of him, but she’s going about this in the wrong way, not in a legal or lawful manner.”
Cadei has full custody of Noah.
A statewide alert has gone out with a description of Noah and Smith and Smith’s vehicle.
Monday morning at approximately 10 a.m., MHPD received a call from a man claiming to be Cadei’s brother. The man said Cadei was attempting to break into his house on Calle Mazatan. When officers arrived at the residence, no one was there.
Sampson said he hopes anyone with information on the case will come forward.
“This is an unfortunate set of circumstances,” he said. “We hope (Smith) will change her mind, decide to do the right thing, and come to the police station. This is not the way to gain custody of the child.”
Smith is believed to be driving a silver 2003 Pontiac Grand Am, possibly with paper license plates from an unknown dealership. Anyone with information is asked to contact the MHPD at 779-2101, or to report information anonymously, 778-STOP (7867).
