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CT couple charged after trying to remove baby from hospital

Hospital Safety Connection, May 28, 2004

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A couple was arrested May 18 after attempting to leave the William W. Backus Hospital in Norwich, CT, with a 6-week-old baby, the Norwich Bulletin reports.

The man and woman, described by police as relatives of the infant, had removed a specially designed electronic bracelet from the girl in the fifth-floor pediatric unit. They then attempted to leave without telling hospital staff.

A floor nurse reported the possible abduction by notifying a switchboard operator, who contacted security and hospital police. The nurse then followed the couple into an elevator. After leaving the elevator, the woman with the infant was stopped in a hallway by hospital security, and the man was detained before he could leave the lobby entrance.

Police charged Gerard Niedojadlo, 19, and Lorenda Malave, 21, with second-degree breach of peace, a misdemeanor. The infant's name and relation to the couple were not available because of federal privacy laws, but a recent birth announcement revealed that the couple had a daughter at Backus on April 5. It was unclear why the couple was attempting to remove the infant, who remains in hospital care.

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