By Khalida Sarwari
A woman who prosecutors accused of stealing a car with a 1-month-old baby in the backseat from outside a Morgan Hill food bank in May was sentenced to a year in jail today, according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
Maribel Mejia, 33, of San Martin, was sentenced to one year in jail and five years of probation after pleading no contest on November 10 to one count of child endangerment and one count of buying, receiving, concealing or withholding stolen property, said district attorney’s office spokeswoman Lisa McCrary.
Two other felony charges against Mejia – kidnapping and theft or unauthorized use of a vehicle – were dismissed, McCrary said.
Mejia surrendered to Morgan Hill police on July 11 on a $120,000 warrant. She told investigators she was tired of being on the run, police said.
McCrary said she was given 353 days of jail credit and will be released tonight.
A second suspect in the case, Enrique Rocha, remains at large, along with his dark blue 1988 Toyota Camry. The car has a California license plate number of 2HJD721, and both of its rear windows are covered with what may be black duct tape, police said.
Mejia and Rocha were seen walking out of the Reach Out food bank at St. Catherine’s Church in Morgan Hill on the afternoon of May 31 as the infant’s mother was walking in, police said.
The mother, Maribel Corona, had left her baby in her white Infiniti Q45 with the keys in the ignition as she briefly ducked into the food bank, police said. When she came out, the car and her daughter were gone.
Several hours later, the car was found by a hiker at Toro Park near Salinas. The baby was safe inside and was reunited with her mother.
Investigators believe Mejia and Rocha stole the car, according to Morgan Hill police.
Corona’s purse was in the car when it was taken, and her credit card was used at a Walmart and a gas station in Los Banos on June 1, police said.
Surveillance video from several locations where the card was used show Mejia using the credit card with Rocha and Mejia’s 4-year-old son, police said.
Anyone with information on Rocha’s whereabouts is asked to call Morgan Hill police Detective Guerrero at (408) 779-2101.
