Washington Woman Accused Of Drugging Mom To Kidnap Her Newborn Baby

A Washington woman and her daughter were taken into custody after they allegedly posed as photographers so they could meet new and expectant mothers in order to steal one of their babies, police say.

On Feb. 14, Juliette Parker, 38, was arrested and charged with assault and attempted kidnapping. Her 16-year-old daughter was placed in juvenile detention, the Washington Post reported.

According to authorities, Parker, a former Colorado mayoral candidate, advertised her photography services on a Facebook group for moms. She offered to shoot free photos of newborns and expecting women as a way to “build her portfolio,” Spokane’s KHQ-TV reported.

“If you have a new baby that’s less then [sic] 14 days old or are at least 37 weeks pregnant, comment below with a pic of your cute baby or baby bump,” Parker wrote in the post, obtained by CBS News.

Evidence gathered during an investigation indicated the request was all part of Parker’s alleged plan to steal a newborn baby to raise as her own in another state, law enforcement says.

In a statement posted online, the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department said one new mother — later identified as Elysia Miller — had allowed Parker into her home on three separate occasions.

“The suspect was observed taking cell phone selfies with the victim’s baby and was seen wiping her fingerprints off items she touched inside the victim’s home,” police said in the statement.

During the third incident, on Feb. 5, Parker and her teenage daughter allegedly gave Miller a cupcake. After Miller ate it, she suddenly felt sick, so she told Parker and her daughter to leave her home. After they departed, she noticed her house keys were missing.

Miller called 911 because she was experiencing “numbness, drowsiness, instability on her feet and was vomiting” and believed she had been drugged, the sheriff’s department statement reads.

Following her arrest, Parker posted $50,000 bail and was released from custody on Feb. 16. Two days later, she pleaded not guilty to the assault and attempted kidnapping charges in Pierce County Superior Court. A judge reset her bail at $150,000 after prosecutors said Parker was a flight risk, and she was placed back in jail.

At a Feb. 18 news conference, Parker’s alleged victim said she is living in terror after the foiled kidnapping ordeal, Seattle’s KOMO-TV reported.

"I don't like going anywhere, I don't like being at home, I’m not sleeping, I'm not eating," Miller said. "I carry a machete, a knife and pepper spray in my house and in my car. I sleep with the knife under my pillow as a result of this."

Pierce County Detective Ed Troyer reminded anyone going online to be careful who they trust.

“On social media, anybody can look like a professional photographer or pretend to be anyone they want to be. But if it’s too good to be true, it is,” Troyer said.

He added: “It’s crazy that it’s gotten to the point of baby-stealing now.”