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Mom recalls moment her newborn son was abducted in a local hospital

Posted at 3:00 PM, Aug 09, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-09 15:01:44-04

NORFOLK, Va. - "That was like hell," recalled Rena Jones.

It was 11 years ago, but recalling the moment her son was abducted at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital still bothers her a lot. She said it was the scariest moment of her life and it happened two days after she gave birth to her second son Kemorrion.

"They came and told me they cannot find my baby. I'm sitting there and my legs are shaking and I'm biting my nails down to the gristle like it’s a chicken bone," said Jones.

A 22-year-old woman, Shameka Pittman, wore burgundy scrubs and posed as a nurse to get close to Jones.

Jones said she remembered she had Kemorrion in her room and called down to the nursery so the staff could take him down there. She explained she was on medication, very tired and still recovering from her C-section a couple days ago.

She didn't want to chance accidentally dozing off while holding her son, which is why she kept him in the nursery. Jones said the moment after she called the nursery, Pittman popped into her room and said she was there to bring Kemorrion down to the nursery.

Jones, believing she was a nurse, didn't think anything was wrong until a little while later when nurses from the nursery came up to bring Kemorrion down. In the meantime, Pittman had gotten Kemorrion's proof of birth and milk. She brought him into an exam room and cut his hospital band.

"I don’t know what made her want my baby. He wasn’t the only African American baby in the born that day," said Jones.

Pittman didn't make it off the maternity floor. Jones said Pittman had placed her newborn son into a diaper bag, put a blanket on top of him and zipped it up. Police said that's when Pittman tried to smuggle Kemorrion out of the hospital.

Hospital staff and security started searching for Kemorrion. Meanwhile, Jones said she continued to panic until she was reunited with her son.

"When they opened that bag he was looking up and wiggling his little chocolate feet in the air," Jones said she was told.

It's been 11 years but Jones said her story proves anyone can be abducted anytime, anywhere at any age.

"Every time I read about one or see one, it always reflects back to him. I got him back and he was healthy and he was fine but in my mind, I still say what if? What if I didn't get him back?" said Jones.

Since then, Sentara hospitals have changed their protocols when it comes to the maternity ward.

A photo ID is required to enter the floor among other security measures. A few years later, Jones returned to give birth to her daughter, but something from the terrible ordeal will always stick with her.

"I'm going to always worry about him and his siblings. Even when they're grown."