Arizona woman pleads not guilty in missing baby case as Texas police continue landfill search

Ariz. woman pleads not guilty in missing baby case

PHOENIX — An Arizona woman implicated in a missing baby case has pleaded not guilty to felony forgery and conspiracy to commit custodial interference.

Maricopa County prosecutors say 37-year-old Tammi Smith of Scottsdale entered her pleas Thursday after being indicted earlier this month. She remains free on $15,000 bond.

Police in suburban Tempe arrested Smith on Feb. 2 on suspicion of trying to pressure the father of 9-month-old Gabriel Johnson into signing over his parental rights so she and her husband could adopt the baby. Smith has denied involvement in Gabriel’s disappearance.

Meanwhile, San Antonio police are searching a landfill for the boy’s body. His 23-year-old mother told Tempe police that she drove with Gabriel to San Antonio in December, stayed about a week, then took a bus to Florida without him.

Elizabeth Johnson remains jailed in Phoenix and has refused to talk about what happened.