Endangered infant back in Utah

A 1-month-old girl at the center of an endangered person alert out of Midvale last week is back in Utah.

Vanessa Laureen Ochoa was found in Tennessee Friday after being taken by her mother, who had limited custodial rights.

Ochoa was born Aug. 3 addicted to cocaine from her mother's drug use, according to officials. A court ordered the Division of Child and Family Services to take custody of the newborn the next day.

Her mother, Sheila Crump, who already had her four other children taken into protective custody while she lived in Oklahoma, was working to be reunited with her infant. She was on a "trial home placement," meaning mother and daughter could live together in a supervised treatment center, when the baby was taken to Primary Children's Medical Center on Sept. 24.

Hospital officials said Ochoa was suffering from a common childhood illness and nothing drug-related. The infant was checked out and released from the hospital about 90 minutes later. But Crump and her child never returned to the treatment center. The endangered person alert was issued last Thursday.

Crump and Ochoa were found in Tennessee at the home of Crump's biological mother. Crump had not had contact with her mother in 25 years, according to police.

Utah Department of Human Services spokeswoman Liz Sollis said a DCFS representative flew out to Tennessee to personally bring the infant back to Utah.

"She's healthy," Sollis said.

Crump remained in custody in Tennessee. Midvale Police Sgt. John Salazar said Crump has waived extradition, and one of his officers was heading out to pick her up. She was expected to be back in Utah Monday or Tuesday, he said.