Hispanic woman arrested after trying to steal a baby and kills its mother

A Latina who lied to her family about giving birth tried to kidnap a newborn baby and kill the child's mother, but was foiled when the mother managed to bite off part of her assailant's finger and alert family members, police said. Gabriela Osorio, 28, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and attempted kidnapping shortly after she fled the victim's house with the baby, said Cpl. Anthony Bertagna, a spokesman for the Santa Ana Police Department. The mother was treated for stab wounds but has been released from the hospital and is at home with her child. Bertagna said the story began in 2009 when Osorio believed she was pregnant and was showered with attention from her boyfriend and family. She later discovered she was not pregnant, but did not tell her loved ones. Instead, she hatched a plot to steal a baby. Police say Osorio told them that she began visiting medical clinics around Santa Ana looking for women who had recently given birth and who matched her physical characteristics. She met and befriended the victim, a 26-year-old Santa Ana woman, at a clinic a week before the attack. Osorio showed up uninvited at the victim's house. She told investigators that she intended to take the baby and flee. After failing to sneak the baby away, Osorio grabbed a plastic bag and tried to suffocate the mother. At some point during the struggle, she also grabbed a knife and stabbed the woman three times. The wounded mother bit off the tip of Osorio's ring finger and ran outside, screaming for help. Osorio then fled the residence with the baby in her arms. Police apprehended Osorio near the house a short time later. Along with attempted murder and attempted kidnapping, Osorio was charged on suspicion of burglary and assault.