Father's ex-girlfriend held as prime suspect
YUTTAPONG KUMNODNAE & MANOP THIP-OSOD

A former girlfriend of the father of a newborn baby stolen from a Lop Buri hospital last Friday is being detained by police as a major suspect in the abduction.

Sakhon Khamto, 24, a native of Udon Thani province, was taken in by police late on Tuesday for questioning in connection with the abduction of a five-day-old baby girl from the Lop Buri provincial hospital on April 14. The baby is one of a pair of twin girls born to Ratree Trakarnchan and her husband Somprot Khanthongdee.

Ms Sakhon's mother, Amporn, was also taken in for questioning.

However, Ms Sakhon's younger sister, Bang-orn Mamwan, 22, said there was no way either of them could have abducted the baby as both were celebrating Songkran in their hometown when the baby was stolen from the hospital in Lop Buri.

"It's impossible that they could be involved in the abduction. Both of them were in Udon Thani [on April 14] and the whole village can confirm that," said Ms Bang-orn.

She said Ms Sakhon returned home on April 13 to celebrate Songkran.

Another younger sister, Taworn Khamto, 18, said Ms Sakhon left Lop Buri by bus on April 12 to meet her in Udon Thani's Muang district before leaving together the next day for their parents' home in Sang Pan village, Phen district.

Both said their elder sister was mentally retarded.

Ms Sakhon is suspected of having kidnapped the newborn baby to take revenge on Mr Somprot, her former boyfriend.

She reportedly told police that she had left the baby near Huay Luang, a brook in Muang district of Udon Thani, on the evening of April 15.

Police and divers early yesterday morning scoured the brook and surrounding areas for hours but could not find the baby girl.

Just seen the article on the TGN news here in New Zealand.
No sign yet of the missing baby.