NORFOLK, Va. — A Portsmouth woman is facing a felony child abuse charge after police say an infant was taken from the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD).
Norfolk police said officers were called to CHKD shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday for a report that an infant had been removed from the hospital by a parent.
The child was located a short time later in Chesapeake and returned to the hospital. Investigators said 31-year-old Stephanie Wallace was taken into custody and charged with felony child abuse.
While the initial report was of a parent taking the child, police did not say if Wallace was the infant's mother.
In a statement to 13News Now, a spokesperson for CHKD said: "CHKD has several levels of security to protect patients, beginning with limiting visitors to parents/legal guardians who have a legal right to be with their child and a short list of parent-approved visitors. In rare instances, parents may decide to remove their child from the hospital. If removing a child from the hospital puts that child’s health at risk, CHKD is legally obligated to contact appropriate authorities to safeguard the well-being of the child."
Norfolk police say Wallace also goes by the surname Campbell, where she is listed under the Norfolk City Jail's website. The Portsmouth woman is currently in jail without bond. She's due in court on Tuesday morning.