BRADENTON, FL -- Pittsburgh Pirates minor league prospect Jose Tabata says he was "shocked" to find out his wife is accused of kidnapping a baby from a Florida couple.
The 20-year-old outfielder said in a statement Wednesday that he is "hurt, frustrated, and confused" by the alleged behavior of his 43-year-old wife, Amalia Tabata Pereira.
Pereira appeared before a judge Wednesday after she was accused of abducting a 2-month-old girl outside of a Plant City clinic.
Bail for Pereira was set at $750,000 in Manatee County on Wednesday morning. She was transported back to Hillsborough County Wednesday evening and will face a Hillsborough County Judge on Thursday.
Plant City Chief of Police Bill McDaniel said authorities are looking to charge Pereira with false imprisonment.
The baby was returned unharmed to her parents late Tuesday in Plant City.
Pereira was questioned by Florida detectives in Manatee County, where the girl was found Tuesday afternoon, a day after she was taken from the clinic.
Jose Tabata, 20, is an outfielder and trains in Bradenton.
In a statement, Pirates president Frank Coonelly said they have received "no indication that Jose is believed to have had any involvement in this matter."
Sandra Cruz-Francisco was taken from her mother, Rosa Sirilo-Francisco, about 3 p.m. Monday by a woman her family only knew as 'Janet,' Plant City police said. Investigators now believe Janet and Pereira are likely the same person.
Plant City Police Captain Darrell Wilson said Pereira has a criminal record that includes theft and fraud convictions. He said police did not have a hometown for her because she has several aliases.
"We don't know if it's an isolated incident or not," Wilson said.
There were conflicting reports on exactly how the infant was found.
Plant City police said Pereira turned herself and the baby in to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office early Tuesday afternoon.
But authorities in Manatee County said Pereira was detained after an anonymous tipster called police to report a woman on a street corner in downtown Bradenton had information about the missing baby. When deputies responded to the scene, the baby was found and a woman was detained, according to a report.
Portions of this article were provided by the Associated Press.
