A woman from Crockett, Texas, was arrested after allegedly offering $500,000 to buy a mother's infant son at a Walmart.
The woman in question was identified by NBC affiliate KETK-TV as Rebecca Lanette Taylor.
Taylor was detained on January 18 and charged with the sale or purchase of a child–which is considered a third-degree felony.
Texas woman arrested for allegedly trying to purchase child at Walmart checkout, deputies say\n\nRebecca Taylor, 49, is charged with sale or purchase of a child, a third-degree felonyhttps://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/01/22/texas-woman-arrested-for-allegedly-trying-to-purchase-child-at-walmart-checkout-deputies-say/\u00a0\u2026— Carolyn R \ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc99 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Carolyn R \ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc99 \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1642979741
According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by Lieutenant Ahleea Price with the Crockett Police Department, the mother of the child called authorities “advising a White woman with blonde hair approached her in the Crockett Walmart, wanting to purchase her son.”
Oh my this is terrible. \nThis woman would have been better off ordering the child online from Montgomery ward lol\n\nTexas woman arrested for allegedly trying to \u2018purchase\u2019 child at Walmart for $500,000 \u2018because she wanted him\u2019https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/texas-woman-purchase-child-b1998992.html\u00a0\u2026— NeverTrumper If you like it retweet also (@NeverTrumper If you like it retweet also) 1642978638
You can watch a news report, here.
The mother told Price she was waiting at the self-checkout line with a baby in a car seat and her one-year-old in the cart when Taylor approached her.
Authorities wrote that Taylor:
“Began commenting on her son’s blonde hair and blue eyes. She asked how much she could purchase him for. (The mom) tried to laugh this comment off, thinking Taylor was joking."
"Taylor told her that she had $250,000 in the car and she would pay that much for him. (The mom) told her no amount of money would do."
I guess you can\u2019t buy a kid at Walmart . . .https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/01/22/texas-woman-arrested-for-allegedly-trying-to-purchase-child-at-walmart-checkout-deputies-say/\u00a0\u2026— QENNY PIVOT (@QENNY PIVOT) 1643032680
Can you buy a straightjacket?— no\ud83d\udc1f\ud83d\udc20, no\ud83c\udf30\ud83c\udf30\u2022\u269b\ufe0f\u2022B+\u26a7\ufe0fLM\u2022\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u2022\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\ude37 (@no\ud83d\udc1f\ud83d\udc20, no\ud83c\udf30\ud83c\udf30\u2022\u269b\ufe0f\u2022B+\u26a7\ufe0fLM\u2022\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\u2022\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\ude37\ud83d\udc89\ud83d\ude37) 1643061489
When Taylor kept persisting, the mother told her to leave and stay away from her son.
According to law enforcement, Taylor told the mother she had been looking forward to purchasing a baby for quite some time.
The mother also informed authorities there was a second woman involved who asked for the child's name, but the mother refused to offer that information.
However, the two women somehow knew the name of the child and began calling it out.
Im starting to think Texas is becoming the new Florida. We have a lot of crazy things happen here but Texas is definitely gaining on us.— Smithsphone\u2122\ufe0f \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Smithsphone\u2122\ufe0f \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8) 1643079502
lol, this has the potential to be a florida story.— Andrew (@Andrew) 1643081176
Our species is doomed.— Patricia Arquette (@Patricia Arquette) 1643081652
Someone needs to look at this woman's acquaintances and look for patterns of human trafficking.— grinningbobcat\ud83e\udd1f\ud83e\udde0\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@grinningbobcat\ud83e\udd1f\ud83e\udde0\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1643076890
The mother waited for the two women to leave Walmart.
When they did, she headed out into the parking lot where she was confronted by Taylor again.
The affidavit continued:
"Taylor began screaming at (the mom), saying if she wouldn't take $250,000 for him, then she would give her $500,000 because she wanted him and she was going to take him."
If she had $250K in cash in her car WHY was she shopping @Walmart— G. G. Gordon (@G. G. Gordon) 1643121137
The mother locked her children inside her vehicle.
Taylor was standing behind a black SUV that was parked next to her car.
After repeating she wanted the child and would pay $500,000 for him, Taylor eventually got into the SUV and left the scene.
This could be insanity or real trafficking. We really need more information before we jump to conclusions. Like, was there $ in the car? Have the police searched/seized car yet?— Peg \u201cCassandra\u201d Phillips \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udcda\u2744\ufe0f\ud83e\udd8b (@Peg \u201cCassandra\u201d Phillips \ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udcda\u2744\ufe0f\ud83e\udd8b) 1643088319
Clearly this crazy person didn't actually have 250k cash just sitting in her car. Seems like attempted kidnapping more than anything else.— Glimmerixel (@Glimmerixel) 1643075588
Price confirmed from watching Walmart's surveillance footage the mother's statements were accurate.
Price later went to Taylor's residence to obtain more information, but the interaction went nowhere.
Said Price in the affidavit:
“She told me that she doesn’t like thieves, then she stated I could speak with her attorney and to get off her ‘precipice.’ She slammed the door shut.”
KETK reported a warrant was signed for Taylor's arrest after Price shared information of the incident with Houston County District Attorney Donna Kaspar.
Taylor was booked into the Houston County Jail and is being held on a $50,000 bond.
A $50k bond or attempted child trafficking... for a suspect who just said she had $250k cash ON HER? She should be denied bail.— \ud83c\udf0aCarol\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b\ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b\ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b\ud83d\udc15\ud83c\udf69\ud83d\udc67\ud83c\udffb\ud83e\uddd2\ud83c\udffb\ud83e\uddd1\ud83c\udffb\u200d\ud83e\uddb1 (@\ud83c\udf0aCarol\ud83c\udf0a\ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b\ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b\ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b\ud83d\udc15\ud83c\udf69\ud83d\udc67\ud83c\udffb\ud83e\uddd2\ud83c\udffb\ud83e\uddd1\ud83c\udffb\u200d\ud83e\uddb1) 1643078897
She's being held on 50,000 bond, while she is apparently able to spend 500,000 on buying someone's kid.— Sarah Kelly \u2615\u2618\ufe0f\ud83e\uddd9\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83d\ude37\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08 (@Sarah Kelly \u2615\u2618\ufe0f\ud83e\uddd9\ud83c\udffc\u200d\u2640\ufe0f\ud83d\ude37\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08) 1643078021
Indy 100noted Section 12.34 of Texas' Penal Code states "that someone who is guilty of a third-degree felony will be imprisoned "for any term of not more than 10 years or less than two years."
