Wife of Pirates player pleads guilty after being accused of stealing baby and faking pregnancy
By APWednesday, July 21, 2010
Baseball player’s wife pleads guilty to kidnapping
TAMPA, Fla. — A woman accused of faking a pregnancy and stealing a baby to fool her baseball player husband into thinking he was the father has pled guilty.
Amalia Tabata-Pereira, 44, pled guilty in Hillsborough Circuit Court on Wednesday on charges of kidnapping, interference with custody and impersonating a public officer.
In March of 2009, Tabata-Pereira posed as an immigration official and threatened a migrant worker and her boyfriend with deportation if they didn’t give their baby girl to Pereira, prosecutors say. The mother complied, then contacted police six hours later to report a kidnapping. Tabata-Pereira is married to Pittsburg Pirates outfielder Jose Tabata.
Tabata-Pereira will be sentenced Sept. 30.
A Pirates spokesman says Tabata has long avoided contact with his estranged wife and he continues to work with his lawyers to complete their pending divorce.
