Albuquerque grandmother held for impersonating CYFD worker to kidnap grandson
An Albuquerque grandmother accused of kidnapping her 6-year-old grandson by impersonating a state child welfare worker learned Monday she will remain in custody pending a hearing in district court. Marie Esquibel faces child endangerment and kidnapping charges after police say she posed as a Children, Youth and Families Department of New Mexico worker to find out which school the boy had been transferred to and then convinced the school to release him to her.
Albuquerque police issued an Amber Alert on Friday saying the boy had been abducted by his grandmother.
According to court documents, Esquibel was no longer allowed to be around the boy after he tested positive for drugs following time spent with her. CYFD told the court that Esquibel had been violent with the department and had made threats to kidnap her grandson during previous visitations.
The boy had been moved from his previous school so his grandmother could not have contact with him. Police said Esquibel called that school, claimed to be with CYFD and persuaded staff to tell her which school the boy had moved to.
She then went to Cochiti Elementary, identified herself as the boy’s grandmother and had the school release him to her even though she was not authorized, police said.
On Saturday, following the Amber Alert, APD arrested Esquibel and took the boy into protective custody.
The state filed to keep her behind bars until trial, calling her behavior troubling. On Monday, Bernalillo County Metro Court Judge Brittany Maldonado Malott said the case would be transferred to district court and told Esquibel she would be held until a district court judge holds a hearing on whether she will continue to be held or released.
According to court documents, Esquibel tried to get custody of her grandson last month. CYFD opposed the motion, which was denied when she failed to show up for court.
Albuquerque Public Schools told KRQE News it is looking into the events and shared a letter from the Cochiti Elementary principal to parents. The letter said the school is conducting a review of its dismissal and student release protocols to prevent a similar incident.
CYFD said in a statement Monday night that he is safe and in the care of his father. “Last Friday, the grandmother inappropriately posed as a CYFD worker and removed the child from school without authorization by the father or CYFD,” the department said.
The department said the grandmother was known to CYFD from a prior investigation initiated in August, when law enforcement reported she had taken the child from his home. After the child was found, law enforcement gave CYFD custody of the child and three siblings, and the child was subsequently placed in his father’s custody.
CYFD said the non-offending father filed for and received full custody of the child from the courts, which issued restraining orders against the mother and grandmother. The other siblings remain in CYFD care.
“The grandmother was not allowed or authorized to have contact with this child,” CYFD said.
