Missing infant is back home in Wichita - KCTV5

Missing infant is back home in Wichita

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Sofia Victoria Gonzalez Abarca (KCTV) Sofia Victoria Gonzalez Abarca (KCTV)
Laura Abarca-Nougeda, Sofia's mother, and Sofia Gonzalez. (Via KWCH) Laura Abarca-Nougeda, Sofia's mother, and Sofia Gonzalez. (Via KWCH)
KANSAS CITY, KS (KCTV) -

Sunday update: Police are releasing little information about the two people arrested in connection the disappearance of Sofia Gonzalez.

Her family says that they are just glad she is back with them. 

KCTV5 is continuing to seek information on those arrested. Stay with us for updates.


Saturday update: Sofia has returned home safely and is with her family. 

In a press conference on Saturday morning, the Wichita Police Department said that Sofia Gonzalez has been found safe and that two suspects are in custody. 

Investigators had established probable cause that Sofia's abductor(s) had gone to Dallas. So, around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday, the Dallas Police SWAT Unit executed a search warrant at a residence in Dallas, Texas.

Two adults were taken into custody and the infant was found alive inside.

Police cannot say what the exact relationship between the suspects and the infant's mother was, but authorities do say "they knew each other."

Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay said on Twitter around 5 p.m. that "Baby Sophia is now on a plane with our detectives heading home to be reunited with her family."

About an hour later, CBS Newspath told KCTV5 that the baby was safely back at home in Wichita with her family.

Investigators are actively investigating and conducting interviews in Dallas.

The Dallas Police Department did release a supplemental statement in the afternoon about what happened.

They say that their Child Exploitation Unit was requested to help in the investigation by the FBI from Wichita. When CEU got information from Wichita about where one of the suspects might have been, they began surveillance and were able to get additional information. 

Because of that information gathered from surveillance, CEU detectives got a search warrant and asked SWAT to help in the execution of that warrant. 

Once inside, the suspects were arrested, and Sofia Gonzalez was taken to a children's hospital as a precaution. 


Friday night's coverage: 

While they're still not the lead agency, the FBI's role will be large in the search for 7-day-old baby Sofia Gonzalez.

Police say that her mother, Laura Abarca-Nougeda, was shot and killed in her home in Wichita before Sofia disappeared.

The shooting and abduction launched a huge search for the child. Investigators came to the metro after a car the child was believed to be in was found to be registered in Kansas City, Kansas.

They talked to Leron Berry in Olathe, a former boyfriend of Laura's. After his interview, he was cleared as a suspect.  

Berry's mother, Veronica Holmes, said on Friday that her son and Laura broke up years ago, which made the investigators’ trip to her KCK home a surprise. She did say she’s maintained a friendly relationship with Laura, however. 

"Met up with the FBI, and the police officers,” said Holmes, “and my whole thing is, my son didn't do this. And they asked me all the little questions about has he been there, has he been up there... No.”

Former FBI Agent in Charge, Michael Tabman, talked about how the FBI will aid in the search for Sofia.

"The FBI has a special response unit called ‘CARD’ -- Child Abduction/Rapid Deployment,” said Tabman. “It's a group of agents dedicated to this type of work. So, they bring in some expertise. Understanding how to set up a command post, how to track logical leads, profiling the sex offenders who'll be the first target of interviews, understanding who might be the most likely.  They're also going to help in how to frame interviews of friends, neighbors, and relatives."

Tabman also says the FBI will stay in a supplementary role, until it's believed baby Sofia has crossed state lines. Then, it turns into a federal case.

Earlier coverage: 

FBI joins search for missing Wichita newborn whose mother was fatally shot

KBI, WPD explain why no Amber Alert issued for missing Kansas infant

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