Pirates/MLB
Pittsburgh Pirates Amalia Tabata Pereira, the 43 year old wife of Pirates prospect Jose Tabata, is being questioned for taking a baby from a clinic outside of Tampa Bay, Florida. According to the Associated Press, Amalia Tabata Pereira, 43, was being questioned by Florida detectives in Manatee County, where a 2 month year old baby was found unharmed Tuesday afternoon, a day after she was takin from a health clinic outside Tampa, FL. Plant City Chief of Police Bill McDaniel said authorities are looking to charge Pereira with false imprisonment.
Tabata, 20, is the Pirates #3 rated prospect in their minor league system and his estimated arrival for the major leagues is September 2009.
John Perrotto reports, Amaila Tabata Pereira was found with 10-pound Sandra Cruz-Francisco standing at a street corner in Bradenton, Fla., the city where the Pirates hold spring training, on Tuesday afternoon. The baby had been reported missing by her mother, Rosa Sirilo-Francisco, at 9 p.m. Monday.
Jose Tabata issued a statement released by the Pirates that he had no knowledge of the abduction.
“I was shocked to be told today that my wife has been arrested for kidnapping,” Tabata said. “I am hurt, frustrated and confused by her actions. I have and will continue to cooperate with law enforcement officials in any way that I can. Until I have all of the facts, I cannot comment any further.”
The St. Petersburg Times reports, “the mother told a Plant City police investigator she was leaving a health department office in mid-afternoon Monday where she had taken her baby for a routine checkup when a woman named Janet claimed to be an immigration employee.”
