Cabbie Charged in Abandoned Baby Hoax

Driver was covering for teen mom with tale of infant left in taxi
By Lucas Laursen,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 3, 2008 11:35 AM CST
Cabbie Charged in Abandoned Baby Hoax
Livery cab driver Klever Sailema is shown meeting with the media in this image taken from video, Friday, Feb. 29, 2008 in New York. Sailema, who made headlines this week when he claimed that a passenger had abandoned a baby in his car on Thursday, Feb. 28, was arrested Saturday, March 1, and charged...   (Associated Press)

A New York taxi driver who lied about finding an infant girl abandoned in his cab was unrepentant yesterday, saying he “did the right thing,” the Daily News reports. New Yorkers' hearts, softened by the story of "baby Lourdes," hardened Saturday when Klever Sailema was arrested and charged with filing a false police report.

Sailema said he acted "above all to help the baby," now identified as Daniella Perez. "It wasn't my intention to hurt anybody," he told the New York Post. "I just wanted to help." The 5-month-old baby and her 14-year-old mother are in state custody, and the 27-year-old father may face statutory rape charges, police said. (More queens stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X