MARATHON, FLA. (WSVN) - The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday arrested a 49-year-old woman accused of kidnapping a child from a hotel.

Zita Gasperik has been charged with child neglect and kidnapping.

According to deputies, the sheriff’s office was called to the Fairfield Inn & Suites at around 8:30 a.m. when an employer told them that Gasperik took her 16-month-old child without her permission.

According to the hotel employee, Gasperik, who also worked at the hotel, told the mother that her child was cute and took a picture of the child. She also reportedly said, “this baby is mine.”

Gasperik then took the child to the breakfast room but left the hotel when the mother returned to get her child.

She was stopped on U.S. 1 shortly after deputies were notified. The child was on her lap and not in a child’s car seat but remained unharmed.

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