Police: Baby taken after parents failed to pay human smugglers

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) The story made headlines about a week ago: A month-old boy kidnapped from his mother at knifepoint.<br/><br/>Police in Fort Myers, Florida, at first thought the boy was likely taken

Saturday, December 9th 2006, 9:11 pm

By: News On 6

FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) The story made headlines about a week ago: A month-old boy kidnapped from his mother at knifepoint.

Police in Fort Myers, Florida, at first thought the boy was likely taken by a woman looking to steal a baby to claim as her own. But now they're saying the baby was abducted because his parents had failed to pay human smugglers.

Police say the parents of Bryan Dos Santos Gomes were brought into the United States illegally from Brazil, but had failed to pay the smugglers' entire fee. Investigators now believe the alleged kidnapper belongs to the smuggling ring.

Bryan has been missing since December first when he and his mother were approached by a woman driving a black sport utility vehicle. The woman made off with the mother and the baby, but later released the mother south of Fort Myers.

The search continues for the infant.