Zahra Clare Baker Update: Father, Adam Baker, Arrested on Outstanding Warrants
HICKORY, N.C. (CBS/WBTV) Zahra Clare Baker's father, Adam Baker, has been arrested for seven outstanding warrants as authorities continue to search for the missing 10-year-old disabled North Carolina girl.
Hickory police spokeswoman Libby Grigg says Adam Baker is charged with writing bad checks and was being held Monday in the Catawba County jail on $7,000 bond. It was unclear if he had an attorney.
On Friday authorities announced that they had completed their search of a Caldwell County landfill and that they had been looking for a specific mattress associated with Zahra, according to CBS affiliate WBTV.
"The search focused on a mattress belonging to Zahra that had been disposed of by Zahra's parents sometime during early October, days before Zahra was reported missing," a press release from Hickory Police said.
Police said that they hoped to "use the mattress to confirm interviews with persons associated with this investigation." They also said that the mattress would be used to reinforce the timeline of Zahra's disappearance, the station reported.
The girl's stepmother, Elisa Baker, has been charged with obstruction of justice after previously being arrested on unrelated charges including communicating threats, writing worthless checks, larceny and driving with a revoked license. Police say she admitted writing a bogus ransom note found at the scene of a fire in the family's backyard on the day Zahra was reported missing.
Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins had previously said investigators were suspect of Zahra's father and stepmother's story and timeline surrounding the young cancer survivor's disappearance and said he wouldn't rule out any suspects, including Adam Baker.
The investigation was declared a homicide Oct. 12 and Adkins said they believe the girl is dead.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Hickory Police Department at
828-328-5551.
COMPLETE COVERAGE OF ZAHRA CLARE BAKER ON CRIMESIDER
