A Louisiana woman was arrested last week for attempting to steal a baby from a children's hospital.
According to investigators, Dinesty Selmon, 21, cased Our Lady of the Lake Children's Hospital in Baton Rouge for weeks and even stole a "parent/caregiver" badge, allowing her access to certain floors and rooms of the hospital when she did not even have a child.
Selmon Told Hospital Staff She was Visiting Her Nephew
As reported by WAFB, on the night of Feb. 21, 2024, Selmon allegedly rang the doorbell of the PICU after visiting hours and told staff she was there as a visitor. The staff did not recognize her as one of the patient's parents and explained that visiting hours were over.
A short time later, the same staff member granted access to an actual parent of a patient in that wing and Selmon allegedly followed in behind that person, an affidavit alleges. The staff member reportedly recognized Selmon and saw her slowly walking past each patient's room looking inside. The staff member told Selmon visiting hours were over and escorted her out of the restricted area.
An arrest report says the next night, Feb. 22, Selmon again rang the doorbell of the PICU, and the same staff member granted her access to the wing and immediately recognized her from the previous night. The staff member asked her who she was there to visit and Selmon said she was visiting her nephew but could not provide a room number or name of the patient and was observed pretending to make a phone call, then later walking off and leaving the wing.
Selmon Told Her Boyfriend He was the Biological Father, Took Him to the Hospital to See Baby That Didn't Have Parents Around
Police said while Selmon was walking the floors of the hospital she was able to find a room with a 9-month-old baby where the parents weren't present. It was later learned that the baby was in intensive care and the parents didn't live in Baton Rouge.
Selmon allegedly also called her boyfriend and told him she had a baby while out of town and the baby was getting care in Baton Rouge. She then took her boyfriend to the hospital, into the room of the 9-month-old child, claiming the infant as hers, making him believe he was the biological father.
"She may have sought that that was a perfect opportunity to go in and act like this child was hers," said Sgt. Darren Ahmed with the Baton Rouge Police Department.
Police said Selmon learned the child's medical history by reading the charts and took her boyfriend to the hospital to visit doctors "in hopes to schedule false or fictitious medical appointments for the child."
Boyfriend Became Suspicious After Child's Name on Door Didn't Match What Selmon Told Him
On March 1, the boyfriend became suspicious of the baby when he came to the hospital and saw the name on the door didn't match the name police said Selmon gave him. The boyfriend then told a family friend who is a nurse.
That's when police said the hospital learned that there was a security breach. Police said Selmon and her boyfriend went back to the hospital with his family where they were confronted by security. Selmon was asked for her I.D. and was asked to leave the hospital after they retrieved her access card.
Selmon was arrested two weeks after that incident, on March 26. Though police said the baby was never taken out of the hospital room, Selmon was charged with attempted kidnapping and unauthorized entry of a business.
Selmon Pretended to be a Mother on Social Media
Samaria Phillips, an acquaintance of Selmon's, recently told WAFB that her mother gave birth in December and Selmon would come over uninvited to take pictures of the baby. Phillips claimed they eventually discovered that Selmon was claiming the baby as hers on social media.
"She's got people believing that she had this baby. From the ultrasounds to my baby's playpen to his swing to even in the hospital. Those are my experiences and she posted them like they was hers," Phillips' mother alleged.
Phillips and her mother claimed they last saw Selmon on March 23, when she said she was going to Baton Rouge. Phillips' mother said Selmon's scheme was fully exposed following her arrest last week.
