HOUSTON – A woman who killed her friend in the Aldine-area and kidnapped her newborn baby after suffering her own miscarriage was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Erika Miranda-Alvarez, 35, pleaded guilty to stabbing her friend, Carolina Flores-Miranda, 33, to death before kidnapping her newborn baby on Dec. 19, 2017.
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Family members reportedly found Flores’ body at her apartment and realized her baby was missing, sparking a two-day search involving several area law enforcement agencies. They ended up finding the child with Miranda-Alvarez at her apartment on South Gessner, more than 30 miles from Flores’ apartment.
It was later revealed Miranda-Alvarez was pregnant at the same time as Flores, but “had a miscarriage,” the DA’s office said in a press release. Despite being Flores’ longtime family friend, Miranda-Alvarez reportedly sought to take her baby after killing her and raise the baby as her own. However, when initially questioned by police she admitted to only kidnapping, noting Flores had already died when she went to the apartment.
In a subsequent investigation, prosecutors say Miranda-Alvarez had actually planned out everything, including “telling a friend days before the murder that she had her baby.”
“She knew what she was doing was wrong, and we know that from what she said to people and what she did, including dumping the victim’s cellphone in the toilet tank,” Assistant District Attorney Casey Smith Smith said.
Back in 2017, Carolina’s family told KPRC 2 she moved to the United States from Honduras about five years ago seeking a better life. Along with Shamali, family members said Carolina has two other children, ages 7 and 17, and was also taking care of a teenage niece and nephew.
The 35-year-old pleaded guilty last Tuesday on all charges and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
“This was a premeditated murder and kidnapping that should have never happened,” DA Kim Ogg said. “I wish there was a way to undo all the harm and pain that this defendant inflicted on others, but all we can do is work to ensure that she spends decades in prison for her actions.”