Quebecer suspected of kidnapping baby must undergo psychiatric exam

TROIS RIVIERES, – A 21-year-old woman suspected of kidnapping a newborn from a Trois-Rivieres maternity ward will undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether the criminal case against her can proceed.

Valerie Poulin Collins was arraigned today on two charges: one of kidnapping and one of abducting a person under 14 years old.

If convicted on the abduction charge, she faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

If she’s found guilty of the kidnapping count, Poulin Collins faces a sentence ranging from five years in jail to life imprisonment.

She will return to court next Thursday.

Police arrested Poulin Collins at her home on Monday, three hours after a woman posing as a nurse snatched a 16-hour-old infant from a local hospital. The baby girl was returned to her parents unharmed.

Officers located Poulin Collins with the help of locals who recognized the woman from a photo sent out with an Amber Alert.