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Sources: Family tried to sell snatched Tenn. baby
2009-10-06
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A Tennessee newborn kidnapped in a knife attack on his mother was placed in foster care with his three siblings after allegations arose that a family member tried to sell the infant, sources familiar with the case said Monday. Week-old Yair Anthony Carillo was recovered safely in Alabama Friday, three days after he was taken from his Nashville home. Soon after, the state took custody of the children away from his mother, 30-year-old Maria Gurrolla. An Alabama woman is in custody, facing federal kidnapping charges. Two officials confirmed the baby-selling allegations but spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to discuss the case. A custody hearing is set for Tuesday, but records are closed because the case is in juvenile court. Rob Johnson, a spokesman for the Department of Children's Services, and spokesmen for the FBI and Nashville police declined to comment on the baby-selling reports. Gurrolla and other family members could not be reached at her home on Monday, and it wasn't clear if they are being represented by a lawyer. Tammy Renee Silas, 39, of Ardmore, Ala., is being held on federal charges of kidnapping. She has given a statement to investigators, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Kristin Helm, who declined to detail what Silas said. A lawyer for Silas couldn't be identified Monday. She was arrested after authorities found the baby at her home about 80 miles south of Nashville. Silas has not been charged in the attack on Gurrolla, who was stabbed several times and suffered a collapsed lung. Gurrolla told police that her attacker was a heavy-set, blonde white woman who claimed to be an immigration agent.
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