Woman arrested after police say she took child, threatened mom

Authorities say an illegal Mexican immigrant was bullied into giving up her newborn son by a former roommate who threatened to turn her in to immigration officials if she reported the alleged crime.

The 20-year-old woman national was reunited with her baby on Sunday, nine months after the ordeal began. Police arrested Artemia Hernandez, 44, on suspicion of child abduction and concealment.

In May, Hernandez intimidated the boy's mother into handing over her week-old son, police said.

Hernandez convinced her former roommate that the infant could be taken from her because of the young woman's illegal status, according to law enforcement.

Police said Hernandez persuaded the woman to list Hernandez as the baby's mother on his Los Angeles County birth certificate and on hospital documents.

The mother tried to convince Hernandez to return her son, police said, but Hernandez threatened to take steps to have her deported.

Working off an anonymous tip, El Monte police detectives and officials from the county Department of Children and Family Services located the baby and delivered him to his mother at the police station Sunday, reports AP.

The boy showed no signs of abuse and was in county custody, said El Monte Police Lt. Ken Alva.