Woman and other couple accused of swapping baby for downpayment on used car

Three people were arrested on charges of swapping a 5-month-old boy for a downpayment on a used Dodge Intrepid and cash, police said Tuesday.

Photo: Woman and other couple accused of swapping baby for downpayment on used car

Nicole Uribe, 23, is accused of trading the baby to Jose-Juan Lerma, 47, and his wife, Irene, 27, in exchange for the downpayment and an unspecified amount of cash.

All were arrested on suspicion of felony trafficking in children and were being held at the Pueblo jail under $50,000 (EUR37,790) bail each.

The baby was placed in a foster home, Police Sgt. Brett Wilson said. Wilson said he could not speculate on the motives for the alleged deal.

He said police found the child and arrested Uribe within hours of getting a tip on Monday. The Lermas were arrested on Tuesday, reports AP.

Wilson said all three were Mexican nationals and federal officials had been asked to investigate their immigration status.