WEST JORDAN, Utah, Aug. 11, 2021 (Gephardt Daily) — A 34-year-old woman who sparked an Amber Alert last week was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail Wednesday on a charge of child kidnapping, a first-degree felony.
Charged in the case is Yorbalinda Vargas, who had been denied custody of her 5-month-old daughter, and who West Jordan Police say removed the child from the location of a scheduled supervised visit on Aug. 5.
“Yorbalinda has court ordered supervised visitation due to severe child abuse findings through the Division of Child & Family Services,” says a probable cause statement filed in Vargas’ case, which also notes Vargas was at the July 22 hearing where the decision was announced. Temporary custody was awarded to the baby girl’s father, the statement says.
At 8:15 p.m. on Aug. 5, “Yorbalinda left the residence with (the baby) and did not return. The supervisor of the visit notified (the girl’s) father and police. Multiple phone calls were made to Yorbalinda by the supervisor and Yorbalinda would not disclose her location nor agree to meet to return (the baby).”
The Amber Alert was issued early on Aug. 6. A tip given to West Jordan police led them to a residence in West Valley City at about 9:30 a.m. that morning. Officers knocked on the door, which Vargas opened, holding the baby in her arms, the probable cause statement says. Vargas was taken into custody.
The owner of the residence told officers Vargas had come to his house at about 1 a.m. Aug. 6 and asked if she could hide her vehicle, a white Jeep Cherokee, in his garage to keep it from getting repossessed. The homeowner agreed to let Vargas move her vehicle into his garage, the statement says.
Vargas told police she was aware of the protective order barring her from all except supervised visits with the baby, the statement says.
The filing officer suggested Vargas be held without bail, in part, because “Yorbalinda has made numerous threats of violence against her 5-month-old daughter and made threats to
take (the baby) to Mexico, where she has family.”
A judge agreed, and Vargas is being held without bail.
