Mom traded her toddler for a car, North Carolina cops say — and almost got away with it
Swapping toddlers for objects — like cars — is not legal, as three people in North Carolina found out.
A mother in Thomasville who traded her toddler for a vehicle in 2018 was indicted this week for the unlawful sale, surrender or purchase of a minor, media outlets report. The couple who bartered for the child was also charged.
Alice Leann Todd, 45, Tina Marie Chavis, 47, and Vicenio Mendoza Romero, 53, were placed in Davidson County Jail under $50,000 bonds, WFMY reported.
Police and child protective services were called by concerned hospital staff at Wake Forest Baptist Health High Point Medical Center in July when a toddler with bruising was brought in, Fox8 reported.
At first, Chavis — who brought the child to the hospital — told investigators she was the mother, according to the media outlet. Then she backpedaled, saying instead she was the “adoptive parent.”
But she had no legal documentation to prove that, WFMY reported.
The child was placed with a family member while police tracked down Todd, the biological mother, the Lexington Dispatch reported.
“The investigation revealed the biological mother, Todd, gave the child to Chavis and her husband, Romero, in exchange for a vehicle in 2018,” according to the newspaper.
The first court date for all three is Oct. 21.
This story was originally published October 3, 2019 at 12:52 PM.
