Cops: Mom sold baby on $2,000 installment plan

Sgt. Lynn Beard of the Abilene Police Department discussing the baby sale and purchase case at a press conference on Nov. 10, 2011 / Abelene Reporter News video

ABILENE, Texas - Abilene authorities allege that a mother sold her 7-month-old baby to another woman for $2,000, to be paid off in an installment plan.

Abilene Police Sgt. Lynn Beard said at a Friday press conference that a department unit was tipped off by an anonymous source that a mother had sold her baby. Upon following up, they found that 29-year-old Joana Delacruz Huerta had apparently sold her child to 27-year-old Marilu Munoz. The authorities allege that some of the "installments" on the $2,000 fee have already been paid.

"This is the first time in my 13 years that I remember [a mother selling her child] happening," Beard said during the press conference according to video obtained by the Abilene Reporter-News.

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Huerta and Munoz were charged with the sale or purchase of an infant, and remained in the Taylor County Jail on Friday, CBS affiliate KHOU in Houston, Texas reported. Beard added that Huerta had a criminal history, and the two may face more charges ranging from falsifying names on a birth certificate and medical fraud issues.

The infant is now in the care of Child Protective Services. It was unharmed and appeared to be in healthy condition, according to Beard.

Beard added it will take several weeks to figure out what all the charges will be. If convicted of the third degree sale and purchase felony alone, both women face a $10,000 fine and could be incarcerated for up to 10 years, according to KHOU.

[thesmallshareholder]

the baby should stay with the buyer woman. and the seller woman could start a business. everybody will be happy in this story.

[Jhihmoac]

"Installment Plan"...Since when is a child a car? SHEESH!

[ralphing]

Installment plan? Is that like layaway where you get the baby after the final payment?

[wlhoppers]

Sterilize her. No kid deserves a mother like that

[Pearl_Moon]

I don't see what the big deal is,the baby is healthy and with someone who obviously wanted it.At least the mother didn't kill it and say it was kidnapped.I'm not saying this is totally right,I have mixed feelings on it,I just do not believe these women deserve jail time.

[wlhoppers]

Are you serious? Please tell us you're kidding.

[Imthaid2]

"The infant is now in the care of Child Protective Services."

And, the first the the CPS is going to do is find a rich couple and make a huge profit off of selling this baby.

[wlhoppers]

Or give the child to a foster family who's just taking kids in for the money. Or put the child into an abusive home.

I don't trust the government to do anything right.

[LoadedAndDangerous]

What are these dumba__ Liberals doing? If it's true that she got $2,000.......it should be deducted from her Welfare.