San Jose kidnapping: 3 suspects in custody

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) — Three suspects are in custody Tuesday and a 3-month-old baby kidnapped Monday afternoon has been found, according to the San Jose Police Department.

San Jose police said during an 11 a.m. Wednesday press conference that they are not releasing those names.

“We aren’t releasing who the people in custody are at this point,” Assistant Chief of Police Paul Joseph said. “There’s still much more for the detectives to do.”

When asked about the identity of the people in custody, Joseph did say “there’s some connection to the family.”

“We aren’t sure what that connection is and that will be determined in the course of this investigation,” he said, adding that “the baby is in good condition” and unharmed.

Joseph said that the District Attorney’s office and the SJPD will be collaborating on charges and that kidnapping will be one of them.

San Jose Police Chief Anthony Mata said its a “parent’s worst nightmare” to have their child kidnapped, and he is happy that baby Brandon was found safely. He thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation for its assistance.

Shortly after the press conference, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo thanked police and the FBI in a tweet, stating that they “worked tirelessly through the night to locate baby Brandon.”

“I’m incredibly grateful for the dedication and hard work of our officers and collaborating service agencies,” he continued.

Police confirmed shortly after 9:30 a.m. that baby Brandon had been found. He will be taken to a local hospital for an evaluation, police stated.

“Baby Brandon will be taken to a local hospital as a precaution but he has been located alive,” a tweet stated. “A million thank you’s to all who assisted. More to follow.”

The department had been searching for the man who kidnapped the 3-month-old. Police said the suspect entered a residence in the 1000 block of Elm Street and left with the infant. The family did not recognize the suspect.

Three suspects are now in custody, according to a tweet sent around 10 a.m. by the SJPD.

Early Tuesday, the California Highway Patrol released a description of a vehicle possibly used by the suspect. Subsequently, SJPD stated to KRON4 that “We cannot confirm any information regarding a CHP tweet about a possible suspect vehicle involved in the child abduction case. That information would not be for public dissemination. We will provide an update with the latest information via Twitter or to your News desks as the investigation progresses.”

The CHP then took down the tweet, which had described the vehicle as a 2011 Silver Nissan Quest.

A police officer confirmed to a KRON4 reporter that a car being towed this morning was being towed in connection with the case.

What We Know

The suspect was described as a Hispanic male who was wearing black pants, a dark blue shirt, gray shoes with white trim, a gray baseball hat and a black face mask. The baby carrier was black with a white blanket.

The child, Brandon Cuellar, was wearing a white long-sleeve onesie with dinosaurs on it.

Images of Brandon Cuellar and his kidnapper from the San Jose Police Department.

SJPD Sergeant Christian Camarillo said the child’s grandmother was watching him at the time of the kidnapping. The boy’s mother was at work. Cuellar’s grandmother was downstairs unloading groceries when the kidnapper walked in and took the baby.

The FBI assisted the SJPD to find the missing child, it confirmed to KRON4.

Police said the kidnapper arrived with his own carrier, KRON4 reported. Police did not believe he is homeless, based on his appearance.

Camarillo also said that the baby’s father is incarcerated and “out of the picture.”

In a news conference April 26, Camarillo said that “we’re all of the mind that the number one goal is to get baby Brandon home,” and said the family is having a hard time coping.

“We have not gone home. We are still on this. We are going into hour 20,” he said. “Time is of the essence.”

Camarillo said a person of interest was with the grandmother yesterday when the kidnapping happened, and there were inconsistencies in her story.

Camarillo said that she is with the SJPD, and that the inconsistency between the sex of the person of interest and that of the stated suspect will be explained in due time.

“There are a lot of details that are still to come,” he said. “We do believe this was planned. It wasn’t a random act. He showed up with a baby carrier, took the baby, and then left.”

Camarillo said he is confident the case will be solved today.

“There’s a lot of i’s that need to be dotted and t’s that need to be crossed,” he said.

How To Submit A Tip

Police said a cash reward will be offered for information on the case. Anyone with information is asked to call SJPD detectives at (408) 277-4166. Additional police hotline numbers are listed below: