According to police, the investigation revealed that the suspect who entered the San Jose residence and abducted Brandon, seen on surveillance video wearing a baby carrier, was Portillo.
During the investigation, detectives learned that prior to the abduction, suspect Ramirez had run errands with the victim and the victim’s grandmother. Because Ramirez’s statement changed multiple times, detectives detained her as a person of interest.
Sandoval was identified as another suspect and was also interviewed. Based on his statements and evidence obtained during the investigation, detectives arrested both Ramirez and Sandoval.
Suspects responsible for kidnapping baby Brandon.
Click on the press release link for additional information:https://t.co/qFo2uwMphQ
Incredible dedication and work done by patrol officers, bureaus of investigation, special operations, undercover units, and the FBI.
We’ve got them. pic.twitter.com/AJhrcMvTnV
— San Jose Police Media Relations (@SJPD_PIO) April 27, 2022
Baby Brandon was found safe Tuesday morning, after a 20-hour search that ended miles from where he was taken.
The baby’s grandmother told police she was unloading groceries when the baby was removed from the apartment on Elm Street.
The massive search involved the FBI.
The three suspects in custody have some connection to the family, although police do not specify.
This is a breaking news update. See an earlier version of our report below.
Three-month-old Brandon Cuellar was found Tuesday morning, nearly 24 hours after San Jose police said they took him from his grandmother’s house.
Police had been searching for a man seen on surveillance video and it was a lead that eventually brought Brandon home.
It was shortly after 1:00 pm on Monday when baby Brandon Cuellar was reported missing.
Her grandmother told police she was unloading groceries with the 3-month-old baby in the house.
Asking for the public’s help Monday night, police released surveillance footage showing a man in a baby carrier casually walking down Elm Street. And in exclusive footage shared with ABC7 News, timestamps discover the same man leaving, just five minutes later.
“At the time, I thought that was the guy,” neighbor Marc Arce said.
Arce’s surveillance camera gave us our only glimpse of the kidnapping, critical to the police investigation.
“You can tell, when I was walking to the house or the apartment, there was light,” Arce described. “And when she made him walk backwards, it looked like there was some weight there.”
The kidnapping led to a massive search for the baby that involved the FBI.
Now, three suspects are in custody with some connection to the family, although police did not specify.
“There is still much more for detectives to do,” SJPD Assist. The police chief told reporters on Tuesday. “So I wouldn’t want to give any information that could, you know, impede that investigation.”
Largely thanks to an employee of a nursing home whose facility is located across the street from the house where Brandon was found.
“One of my employees who works here got a little suspicious and saw something that was out of place,” said Chris Martinez, the facility’s director of operations. His employee did not want to be identified and did not want to speak to reporters.
What he saw was a pickup truck, a silver 2011 Nissan Quest with a distinctive decal on the rear window.
Around 4:50 a.m., the California Highway Patrol tweeted a photo, description and license plate of the truck.
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That tweet was later deleted, and San Jose police told ABC7 News they were unable to confirm the CHP information.
It is still unknown why the two agencies had the communication failure.
But the tweet was around long enough for the vehicle information to come out and it was what led that employee to notice the truck.
Martinez was there right after that employee called the police and witnessed what happened.
“(She) saw that something was a little bit off. She saw the vehicle, made a call to the San Jose police,” Martinez said, “Eventually, the San Jose Police Department showed up and they went straight away.” and they blocked the vehicle both from the front and from behind and went to the house of the alleged suspect and at that moment they entered and invaded the house.”
Maria Alvarado, who also has a 3-month-old baby, says she lives just below the house that police raided.
She said in Spanish that she was surprised to hear such commotion outside her home and from police officers. She in disbelief that the missing 3-month-old baby was so close to her.
At the scene Monday morning, at least five officers wearing vests that read San Jose Police Gang Unit were seen carrying evidence from that home.
Police did not explain why the task force was there.
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They say one of the three suspects in custody includes the man seen in that surveillance video. A woman who was with the child’s grandmother before he was kidnapped was also arrested.
Police say the initial investigation shows a link between the family and the suspects.
They say the investigation is continuing into what happened and how the baby spent the last 20 hours.
The College Park neighborhood on Elm Street came to a virtual standstill Monday night after investigators and police left the apartment where 3-month-old Brandon was abducted.
On Tuesday morning, neighbors woke up to the much-needed good news that young Brandon was safe.
“As soon as I heard the baby had been found, I cried,” neighbor Stephanie said.
“We were up all night talking about how it happened, updating Twitter, is everything okay?” said neighbor Kassandra Ramírez. “So this morning I was turning on the news and it was good news. I’m shaking talking about it. Just relieved and overwhelmed with so much emotion and happiness.”
Knowing that it was so easy to kidnap the boy sent fear into neighbor Stephanie, a neighbor who did not want to be shown on camera.
“When we found out it was a 3-month-old kidnapping, I just couldn’t imagine it,” Stephanie said. “My heart synced up, I ran into anxiety. I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I went to dinner, I still couldn’t stop thinking because there was a baby missing.”
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From sadness and fear to excitement and relief, neighbors were overjoyed to learn that the baby had returned to his family once again.
“Super relieved for the mother, for the family,” said neighbor Leandra Duran, “It’s scary, but I’m also glad they found him safe in such a short period of time.”
“Welcome home baby Brandon!” Ramirez said.
Other neighbors are still trying to make sense of the kidnapping which they say appears to be a target.
“When they said that they took a baby, that was very difficult for me. Because I have many grandchildren and many great-grandchildren,” said the downstairs neighbor of the family who asked to be identified only as Elva.
She added that every aspect of the case has moved her.
“Who could come into your house with a bed to get this child out?” Elva asked, “Who could be so bold? Who could be so ugly?”
Baby Brandon is now safe with his family, who have told police they want his privacy and have not spoken at this time.
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