MIAMI (WSVN) — A 1-year-old boy who was allegedly abducted by his mother in Miami was recovered in Texas over the weekend, after a nationwide Amber Alert.
Investigators said the child, Logan Hernandez, is in good condition. Miami Police worked in conjunction with the Laredo Police Department and the U.S. Marshals in their search for the missing toddler.
Speaking with 7News through a translator, the boy’s temporary guardian, Rebecca Rodriguez, recalled the terrifying moment she realized the child had been taken. She said she had gone to bed at around midnight, early Sunday, and then woke up to take medicine. She checked Logan’s crib, but there was no sight of Logan.
"I call my son and I tell him, ‘The baby is gone,’" said Rodriguez.
Logan’s court-appointed caretaker said she’s been through an emotionally draining ordeal. "I’m going through a very sad moment," said Rodriguez.
It didn’t take investigators long to identify the boy’s mother, 29-year-old Leydibet Hernandez, as the person responsible.
A statewide Amber Alert was issued Sunday morning. Billboards lining highways across Florida alerted drivers to be on the lookout for Hernandez in a silver 2014 Mazda CX-5 with the Florida license plate AYTG81.
Logan’s former foster mother, who kept the boy for one month in April 2015, never thought anything like this could happen. "He was such a happy boy. He was so cute," said Isabel Corona.
"My nephew was the one who told me what was going on, and I told him, ‘No, that can’t be true,’" Corona continued.
7News captured Rodriguez leaving her Miami home, on Southwest 34th Court, with a police escort. Detectives found the silver Mazda SUV just a few blocks away.
Sunday evening, mother and son were safely located in Laredo, Texas. Hernandez was taken into custody, and Logan was handed over to the state. The Amber Alert was canceled shortly after.
Police said Hernandez will be extradited back to Florida by the U.S. Marshals. Authorities said her custody of Logan had been previously revoked.
Rodriguez said, regardless of what has transpired, Hernandez is a good mother who was afraid she would lose her child for good. "I think she was desperate," she said.
Meanwhile, those who know Logan said they’re still in shock he wound up hundreds of miles away. "You see this on the news, but you never think anything like this will happen to someone you know," said Corona.
Charges against Hernandez are pending.