Woman puts baby son on sale for $5,000

A Mississippi woman has been arrested for allegedly offering to sell her infant son to another woman she met through an online classified ad.

Bobbie Jo Stojic, 23, of Bay St. Louis was freed on $5,000 bond after her Oct. 29 arrest on a felony charge of offering to sell a child, authorities said.

Stojic allegedly offered to sell her 4-month-old son for $5,000 in a text message that she sent last month to a woman from Kenner, La., who had answered her Craigslist ad for baby clothes, according to a court filing.

"They kind of formed somewhat of a friendship, a loosely based friendship, over text messages," said Hancock County Sheriff's Office Detective Brandon Normand.

Normand said the women had been discussing the costs associated with legally adopting a child before Stojic allegedly offered to sell her son in an Oct 9 text message.

"That kind of planted the seed for Stojic to either sell her child or attempt to scam the woman in Louisiana out of something," Normand said. "She basically told her if you want him, you can have him for $5,000."

Normand said Stojic denied the allegations. A phone number for her that is listed on a court document wasn't in service Tuesday. It wasn't immediately clear whether she has an attorney.

Stojic had mentioned in the text messages that she was having money problems and was in danger of being evicted from her home, according to Normand.

Normand said the Louisiana woman reported the allegations to the Mississippi Department of Human Services, which notified the sheriff's office and took custody of the child. A department spokeswoman declined to answer questions about the case, saying Tuesday that she could not comment on an open investigation.

A Mississippi law that took effect in July 2009 made it a crime to sell or buy a child or offer to buy or sell a child. A conviction is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

Mom, daughter find purse stuffed with thousands

US - When a woman and her 16-year-old daughter found a $400 leather Coach purse stuffed with cash and credit cards on Daytona Beach and alerted authorities about the discovery.

Darlene Curley, who was visiting from Etowah, Tenn., says says she and her daughter were about to take a swim in the ocean on Sunday evening before heading back to Tennessee when they spotted the purse and other items on the sand.

Beach Safety Ocean Rescue officers responded and put the items inside a lifeguard station to dry. When they counted $13,087.88 in cash they locked the bay and left two officers to guard it.

"We thought someone may have drowned or something," Curley told The Daytona Beach News-Journal. "We called the police because we wanted to make sure that the person was all right."

A police report shows May Self of Harwood, Md., eventually claimed the items.

Curley told the paper that Self called her to say thanks and wants to meet in person.

Mom suffocates infant breastfeeding

US - Authorities in Washington County say an intoxicated woman passed out while breastfeeding her 2-month-old daughter, leading to the infant's death.

The Washington County Sheriff's Office says 22-year-old Yadina Morales of Hagerstown has been charged with manslaughter and child abuse in the girl's death, which occurred Saturday morning.

The sheriff's office says Morales was highly intoxicated and lost consciousness while trying to breastfeed. When she woke up, the child was underneath her and was unresponsive.

The baby was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Authorities say an autopsy will determine the cause of death.

Morales was also treated at the hospital before she was booked and charged.

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