Babysitter Arraigned Day After Vanishing With Manhattan Baby; Many Questions Unanswered
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The babysitter who vanished with a Manhattan child in her care for several tense hours Wednesday was arraigned Thursday evening.
Beatriz Rios, 46, had bail set at $10,000 bond or $5,000 cash at Manhattan Criminal Court. An order of protection was also issued for 17-month-old Annabelle Ceria along with her father and mother.
Unable to post her cash bail, Rios is spending the night at Rikers Island, CBS 2's Derricke Dennis reported. Rios' family expects to post her bail Friday morning.
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Rios was taken into custody and arrested Wednesday after the baby's parents, Melissa and Arthur Ceria, spent hours waiting nervously and praying. Then, around 5:40 p.m., the child and babysitter arrived home, allowing young Annabelle's parents to breathe a sigh of relief.
But there are still more questions than answers: Where did Rios and the baby go? Why did they disappear?
CBS 2's Pablo Guzman posed those questions to NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly.
"Inconsistent statements have been put out by the woman, but obviously the investigation is continuing," Kelly said. "She said that she got lost on the subway and she also said that she was in Central Park and she was robbed or her purse was taken and her phone was in the purse and she wasn't able to call and I believe there were other statements as well."
However, Rios' lawyer is calling the situation a misunderstanding, saying that his client speaks little English and never made it to the morning play date with the little girl because her cellphone, purse and the baby's stroller were stolen.
Rios was taken to a hospital, believed to be Bellevue, for an evaluation, prior to appearing in criminal court on the charges of endangering the child and taking her without permission.
The family's driver, Barry Cintron, was in the room when Rios returned and she tried explaining her absence.
"A guy and a man got next to her, took her jacket, the stroller, her purse and walked away," he said, describing Rios' alleged claims about being in Central Park.
According to the criminal complaint, Rios was hired by the Ceria family about four years ago to be a caretaker for their children.
The complaint also states that Rios told the family that she was robbed of the child's stroller and her own property, including her coat, purse and jewelry.
Upon being shown videotape of Rios allegedly walking in Manhattan with the child, she said that she was beginning to doubt that she was robbed, the complaint said.
Rios' next court will be on Dec. 6.
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