From Deseret News archives:

Missing baby, mother found in Tennessee

Crump is arrested at home of her own long-unseen mother

Published: Saturday, Sept. 27, 2008 12:23 a.m. MDT
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It was a family reunion of sorts.

The search for a mother and her 1-month-old daughter, born addicted to cocaine, ended late Friday, when police arrested Sheila Crump in Johnson City, Tenn., at her biological mother's home.

Crump had apparently not been in contact with her mother for more than 25 years. But police say her mother arranged for her to flee to Tennessee.

An endangered person advisory was issued Thursday for the baby, Vanessa Laureen Ochoa, when police first believed she was taken from a supervised residential treatment facility in Salt Lake City. Working with information Midvale police had already received on Crump, they issued advisories to local police agencies where her relatives were known to live.

"The child and mother are fine," said Johnson City Police Lt. Brain Rice. "The child appears to be in good health, but she needs a bath pretty bad."

Police received information that Crump had contacted a man at a bus station in Nashville asking for money. Going on that information, Midvale police asked police in Johnson City and Nashville to look for Crump at her mother's home.

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"We sent the right agencies to the right place," said Midvale Police Sgt. John Salazar.

Crump was arrested at her mother's home. She was booked into the Washington County Jail in Tennessee for investigation of being a fugitive from justice. She is also being held on a charge of child kidnapping, a first-degree felony, in lieu of $100,000 bond. The Tennessee Division of Child Services will care for Vanessa until the Utah Division of Child and Family Services can take possession of the child.

At the age of 2, Crump was removed from her own mother, Glenda Fair, for child neglect, Salazar said. Police believe that Glenda Fair, Crump's mother, purchased a bus ticket for Crump and her child from Salt Lake City to Nashville, after Crump contacted her mother fearing that child welfare workers planned to take her child from her.

The baby was born Aug. 3 in Salt Lake County, according to police. She was born addicted to cocaine because of her mother's drug use, Salazar said. On Aug. 4, a judge put the infant into protective custody.

DCFS worked with Crump to get a support system in place to try to allow bonding between the mother and child, said spokeswoman Elizabeth Sollis.

Crump got to the point about a week ago in which she and the baby were allowed a "trial home placement," meaning the infant could live with her mother full time in a supervised residential treatment facility. The two were living in Midvale.

Recent comments

Yes, there is a whole lot more to this story. As far as I know the...

Aunt | Oct. 1, 2008 at 7:44 p.m.

This is a tragic story for ALL involved and concerned. It is sad for...

Ronnie Bray | Sept. 27, 2008 at 7:41 p.m.

I guess what's difficult for me when I read this article is that each...

Lanie | Sept. 27, 2008 at 1:42 p.m.

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Shelia Crump

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