Newsletter

Newsletter

Weather

Maricopa Weather

Woman indicted in Amber Alert abduction that brought search through Maricopa

Marina Michele Noriega, 23; Bashas’ security footage of Noriega with the abducted toddler in Maricopa; and the grand jury indictment filed March 4.

A Maricopa County grand jury has indicted the woman accused of abducting a 2-year-old girl in a case that triggered a statewide Amber Alert and brought the search through Maricopa last month.

Marina Michele Noriega, 23, was indicted on one count of custodial interference and one count of burglary in the second degree, both class 3 felonies, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced this morning.

Prosecutors say Noriega took the toddler from a home in Avondale in February, prompting the Amber Alert. The child was later found safe at a gas station in Phoenix the following day.

The indictment alleges Noriega was not a parent or legal custodian of the girl and knowingly took or kept the child from lawful custody between Feb. 21 and Feb. 22.

Court records also allege Noriega unlawfully entered the Avondale residence where the child lived near 118th Drive and Edgemont Avenue, forming the basis of the burglary charge.

The child’s parents had told police they woke up to find Noriega and the toddler gone from the home, leading them to search the neighborhood before contacting authorities.

Investigators later received tips placing Noriega and the child in Maricopa. One person told police they picked up the pair at Friendship Park in Avondale and drove them to the city after Noriega said she planned to catch a train to California.

Officers checked the Amtrak station in Maricopa and reviewed surveillance footage but did not find Noriega on any passenger lists.

Surveillance images later showed Noriega and the toddler inside a Maricopa Bashas’ grocery store during the search.

Court documents previously obtained by InMaricopa say the pair slept outdoors in Maricopa overnight before traveling to Phoenix.

Authorities ultimately located Noriega and the child Feb. 22 at a QuikTrip in Phoenix, where a moving crew and a security guard blocked the pickup truck she was driving and called police.

Officers confirmed the girl matched the Amber Alert description and took Noriega into custody.

The toddler was reunited with her family and was reported to be physically unharmed.

Noriega remains held in the Maricopa County jail on a $250,000 cash bond. The defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Related Articles

One Response

  1. This is totally off-topic but I just took the train to California on Thursday night.

    Y’all… I may never fly again. That was amazing. The staff at our Amtrak station are incredibly friendly and helpful, as are the folks on the train. One staffer actually woke me up at 4am so I wouldn’t miss my stop. Great people.

    The train ride itself was smooth and the seat was huge. It was all really chill. It felt like flying 1st Class for $50…

    As I drove back home the next day on the 8, I saw the tracks and said to myself “I miss my train, dammit…”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Most Popular

POLL

Sunset

Flock cameras are back in the news and all over Maricopa's social media pages. What's your take on the city's growing camera system?


Sign in

Welcome back!