Texas Domestic Baby Selling on Installment Payment Plan

According to CBS Radio, “Two West Texas women have been arrested for allegedly buying and selling a 7-week-old infant on an installment payment plan.

Abilene police say the mother, 29-year-old Joana Delacruz Huerta, and the woman accused of buying her baby, 27-year-old Marilu Munoz, were charged Thursday with the sale or purchase of an infant, a third-degree felony.

The women remained in the Taylor County Jail on Friday. Bail has not yet been set [as of Friday]. No attorneys were listed for either woman.

Police Sgt. Lynn Beard says Huerta reportedly sold the baby for $2,000 on an “installment plan” with scheduled payments. According to the Abilene police report, the sale of the child occurred in September.

The infant, whose gender wasn’t released, was taken into custody by Child Protective Services.

If convicted, both women face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.”

Daily Mail adds “At a press conference today he said that a department unit was tipped off by an anonymous source that a mother had sold her baby. ”

Boston Globe reports “Some of the payments had already occurred, police Sergeant Lynn Beard said.Huerta remained in Taylor County Jail on $5,000 bond. Munoz was released after posting bail yesterday [November 11, 2011].

Police said Huerta admitted that she had been pregnant and told officers where she thought the baby was. Police found the child at a home unharmed.

Police said they did not know who the baby’s biological father was or how the two women had initially met.

“The first priority was finding the child,’’ Beard said.

The infant was taken into custody by Child Protective Service, authorities said.”

Reporter News reveals that the child is a girl born on September 23,2011. “The girl’s mother, Joanna Huerta Delacruz, 29, told police she received $200 to $300 in cash weekly from Munoz.” Munoz additionally “fraudulently applied to Medicaid to help supplement payment for the purchase.”

KCEN TV says “Police were able to locate Munoz after picking up Huerta for questioning. Huerta admitted her involvement to police, and told them where they could find Munoz.

“The child was located during the execution of that search warrant and taken into protective custody. That child is now with CPS and is unharmed and appears to be in good condition,” Beard said.”

Munoz said, “there has been a big misunderstanding. Munoz says she has been working with a lawyer for the last couple of months in an attempt to adopt the child.

“We are still investigating how they crossed paths,” Beard said.

Munoz also said that her father was the one that talked to Huerta about the baby. Munoz says her father knew she was having a hard time having children, and that she really wanted to have kids.

“Other charges could follow. Regarding false names on birth certificates, people claiming to be birth parents they aren’t. Things like that,” Beard said.

This isn’t Huerta’s first encounter with the law enforcement. She’s also been arrested for more than a dozen different offenses including theft and possession of cocaine.”

Sources: CBS Radio 11/11/11 by Associated Press

Mother sold her baby for $2,000 to another woman by payment plan
[Dail Mail 11/11/11 by Associated Press]

2 Texas women charged with buying, selling baby
[Boston Globe 11/12/11 by Associated Press]

Police: Abilene woman applied to Medicaid to supplement payments for purchase of baby
[Reporter News 11/11/11 by Denise Blaz]

Texas Woman Says She Didn’t Purchase Baby
[KCEN TV 11/12/11]

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