Woman, daughter accused of kidnapping 1-year-old

Police: Manuel Recendez taken from stroller in Alvin

ALVIN, Texas – A 43-year-old woman and her 15-year-old daughter were in custody Wednesday in connection with the kidnapping of a 1-year-old boy who was the subject of an Amber Alert.

Alvin police said Mayra Isabel Orozco was charged with aggravated kidnapping. The name of the teenager was not released because she was a juvenile, but she has also been charged with aggravated kidnapping.

The 14-month-old baby, Manuel Recendez, was taken Tuesday at 5:20 p.m. as his mom pushed him in a stroller on West Phillips near 2nd Street, police said. Detectives said three males and two females in a white Nissan pulled up and took Manuel.

"I see that kind of stuff happening on movies and stuff, you know," said Manuel's father. "I never thought it was going to happen to my family."

Manuel's father said his son's mother was helpless.

"She was outnumbered," he said.

Shortly after 9 p.m., one of the suspects who knew Manuel's father's telephone number called to say they had taken the child, investigators said. Police said they were listening in on that call. Officials said they negotiated with the suspects to drop the boy off at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital on Astoria Boulevard near Beemer Road.

Mayra Isabel Orozco

"I woke up this morning to him next to me," said Manuel's father. "I was so happy."

Investigators said Orozco and her daughter did not have any connection to the Recendez family or the baby, and were arrested after they dropped off Manuel at the hospital.

"No connection at all, and that's the dynamics that we're trying to work through. If there was a connection, we would understand more about why it fell into place -- the who, what, when, where, and all that. However, because they don't know them makes it very important for us to get to the bottom of why this happened and make sure it doesn't happen again if we can do something about it," said Chief Mike Merkel with the Alvin Police Department.

Manuel's father said he met the person who called him a long time ago.

"I knew one," he said. "When I say 'know him,' I don't know him on a personal note. We don't hang out, we don't call, we don't text each other. I just know him; I just met him a long time ago."

Merkel said Orozco faced an aggravated kidnapping charge because there was a discussion of money. He did not elaborate.

"Somebody ain't got no heart," said Manuel's father. "Somebody don't care about being in trouble. To me, kidnapping is at the top of the list."

Manuel Recendez