Hunt for taxi baby’s father

The abandoned baby who captured the city’s heart after her darling picture was plastered throughout newspapers and TV news programs, is now in the hands of children’s services.
Little Lourdes, as she was named by St. John’s Queens Hospital, turned out to be five-month-old Daniella Perez of the Bronx, and her taxi-driver rescuer has since admitted to concocting a plan with the baby’s 27-year-old father to dump the adorable tot.
As of Tuesday, March 4, police were hunting for the dad, Carlos Rodas, in Maryland, and Perez’s 14-year-old mom, whose name has not been released, has been taken in by the Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). Rodas could face statutory rape charges, according to police sources.
Meanwhile, 45-year-old livery driver Klever Sailema was charged with criminal facilitation and filing a false report and his 21-year-old girlfriend, Maria Siavichay - Rodas’ sister - was charged with criminal facilitation.
The New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers has asked Queens District Attorney Richard Brown not to prosecute the case, and on Tuesday, March 4, a spokesperson for the D.A. said, “[Brown] is taking all of the facts into consideration, but as it stands right now all of the charges remain in tact.”
A day earlier, at press conference, Siavichay through a translator pleaded with her brother to go to the authorities. “Carlos, if you see her, please turn yourself in. It’s the best thing you can do,” she said.
Sailema and Siavichay also asked for forgiveness through a translator for their roles in dumping the baby Perez at Engine 289 in Corona.
“First of all, publicly I would like to apologize for making up something that didn’t exist, that wasn’t there. My only purpose was to do the right thing, and unfortunately I didn’t do the right thing,” Fernando Mateo, of the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, translated for Sailema.
Sailema told gathered media that on Thursday, February 28, he picked up Rodas, Siavichay and the baby in his black livery car.
“When he finally got to the destination, [Rodas] asked Klever [Sailema] to please escort his sister to a firehouse to turn the baby over. Klever then said OK. At that point [Rodas] hugged the baby, he kissed the baby and says, ‘I’m sorry there’s nothing else that I can do for you,’” Mateo said.
Sailema continued on with Siavichay and baby Perez, but as they approached the firehouse, Siavichay backed out of the plan for fear of questions into her immigration status, officials said at the Monday press conference, so Sailema continued to the drop off alone.
“A fireman came into his car, took the baby, [and] carried the baby into the firehouse. The police came, and that’s when the whole story began,” Mateo said.
Sailema defended his actions, saying that his only intention was to ensure that the baby was protected, and the Federation has agreed to pay Sailema’s legal fees.
According to published reports, officials believe that Sailema called to find out information about New York State’s “Safe Haven” law hours before he dropped little Perez off. The law says that the mothers of newborns up to five days old can deliver their babies at hospitals, firehouses and police stations without facing any legal penalties.
“At that moment, I thought that I also have a child. I thought about what if my daughter was in this situation,” Sailema said. “The only thought that he had in his mind at that time was delivering the baby to a safe place.”
After being taken in by the firefighters, Perez was later brought to St. John’s Queens Hospital and Sailema hailed as a hero after he fabricated a tale that the baby’s father had left the tot in his car after jumping out to make a phone call.
St. John’s officials released images of the gorgeous baby in hopes of finding her parents, and at an impromptu press conference that afternoon, Dr. Kenneth Berry told media that the baby was in “excellent” condition.
Perez’s mother later came forward after spotting her baby on the news.
At the Bronx apartment building where baby Perez and her parents were living, a neighbor who only identified himself as Joe said that the couple had only taken the single room in a fifth floor apartment about three months ago.
Joe said that a few days before the baby was dropped off in Queens, the building’s super had confronted Rodas about his girlfriend, who he called his “wife,” smoking pot in the hallway.
“That’s when the super found [Rodas] crying. He said, I can’t take care of this baby,” Joe recounted.
Rodas, his teenage girlfriend and their baby rented a single room for $100 a month, according to published reports, and a large pit bull also lived inside the apartment.
However, according to several residents, the building on West 182nd Street also houses a number of other families.
Resident Vimchi Guzman, who has been living in the building for a year with her 10-month-old son, said that the area and 56-unit apartment complex was “tranquil.”
When asked if the neighborhood is safe, Joe, who has been living in the building for eight years said, “You make your own neighborhood … If you are going to go out at two or three o’clock in the morning, you are going to find trouble wherever you go.
As for the abandoned baby and her parents, he added, “The story hasn’t ended yet. You don’t know what is going to happen to [Rodas].”