SAN JOSE (CBS SF) — Two suspects accused of kidnapping a baby from an apartment in San Jose earlier this week will remain in custody after a judge ordered no bail in court Friday.
Jose Portillo and Yesenia Ramirez are accused of kidnapping, burglary and conspiracy after they planned the snatching of three-month-old baby boy Brandon Alexis Cuellar on Monday. The two defendants were charged in the crime Thursday.
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They returned to court and were denied bail Friday after their defense argued for it to be set at $150,000.
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Portillo is accused of snatching the baby boy from an apartment after Ramirez returned from taking the infant and his grandmother shopping for groceries on Monday.
Ramirez’s attorney Cody Salfen says her client is scared.
“She’s not someone who’s been necessarily used to the incarcerated life, said Salfen. When you go from working three jobs all day long every day to being placed to handcuffs and held in custody without bail, I think that anyone would be terrified.”
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Both suspects face up to 11 years in prison on kidnapping, conspiracy and burglary charges. A legal analyst told KPIX the unusual nature of the case could mean no bail for the suspects.
“The court has to get an understanding of how this happened that a young baby could have been removed from their home in a premeditated fashion,” said legal analyst Steven Clark. It’s very unusual and I think that one-off nature of this case is keeping these two in custody.”
On Thursday, a third suspect in the kidnapping was released, police said.
San Jose police announced Thursday at around noon that kidnapping suspect Baldomeo Sandoval wouldn’t face charges after new details in the abduction came to light.
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The next bail hearing for Portillo and Ramirez is scheduled for May 25.