You know, she said, "If you give me five
jars right now, you can have." I said,
"Have what?" She said, "Have her." And
she put her down in the leaves. What?
No. I would never sell my child. And she
said, "No, I don't need help. I just
don't want the bastard. My child is my
life. I never ever hurt my baby." And
I'm like, "Is she crazy?" In March 2024,
a woman walks into a police station with
an 18-month-old girl and a shocking
claim. The child's mother tried to sell
her own baby and when that didn't work,
abandoned her entirely. But what sounds
like an openandshot case takes a twisted
turn when the mother accuses the woman
of orchestrating a plot to steal her
baby. The following report is based on
official police records, and most of the
footage has never been seen before until
now. On the afternoon of March 5th,
2024, a woman comes into the Palaca,
Florida Police Department with an
18-month-old baby on her shoulder and an
extraordinary story.
Going to bring her some clothes, diapers
over, but we didn't. I was going to wipe
her off, but we didn't want to wipe her
off because she had to take pictures
over cuz she's okay. Don't cry, sweet.
Because she don't deserve it. I'll come
in there and I'll come sit with you.
Well, I'll come sit with you. All right.
I called DCF to John and he is on. is
going to be um calling me back.
Thank you so much for doing this. I know
that this is way outside of my mom. I I
understand. The woman is an employee at
H&R Block and she says she was getting
ready to close last night when a client
named Jessica came in with her baby
daughter. Both of them don't have no
shoes. her and Jessica walked in and she
asked me could I give her a new emerald
card because her taxes had dropped and
she she left it somewhere or something
happened. So I got ready to put her
stuff in and I noticed the baby had took
her diaper off and she was like pointing
at her private like her it was
irritating her something. So I was like,
"Oh, maybe it's the
diaper just in case or whatever." She
was like, "She's not going to do that
because I only have one diaper for her."
So she put the diaper back on her and it
wouldn't you know how the sticky side of
the it wouldn't stick no more. So she
like here and was like, "You just
stupid. You shouldn't." And I was like,
"What?" So I called the police. She says
she waited until police arrived and then
went home for the night, unaware that
her involvement with this woman was far
from over. This morning I came 7 a.m.
She was the mom, Jessica, was laying on
the AC unit and she was in a Dollar
General's buggy. Mhm. And it was
drizzling. She was asleep and the baby
was in there hollering. I said, "Do you
need help? Like, do you need to call DC
so they can help you?" And she said,
"No, don't worry about it." and she
snatched her daughter out the top part
and snapped her in the bottom part. The
woman says that Jessica left at that
point. Not long after, someone at a
nearby restaurant calls the police to
complain about a woman and her baby
walking around asking for food. The
responding officer finds Jessica inside
annoyed that someone reported her cuz
they were they were worried about the
baby because she's throwing a tantrum.
Well, well, more they wanted to make
sure the baby was okay and that you were
okay. I'm fine. I'm trying to find
emergency housing.
So, what's the situation? What uh Huh?
What what what are you going through
right now? I'm going through a lot.
Like, as far as housing, why why are you
looking for emergency housing? Because I
had a boyfriend who used to beat the out
of me and I don't want it around my kid.
Okay.
If you can please help me in any way.
Well, okay. So, I've got our victim's
advocate coming out. Um she's going to
talk to you. She's going to bring some
stuff for the baby. Where? She'll She'll
be coming over here. You know, just
because a baby cries doesn't mean that
they're in trouble. I'm sure you have
kids. I do. Um I have a son and a
stepdaughter. I I can't even believe
this.
Is that rescue for my child? No, no, no.
They're going to a different call. The
victim's advocate arrives with her
assistance, but Jessica is wary of their
motives. You okay? Bro, y'all making me
feel great. Oh, no. No. Okay. This is
the victim's advocate that told me I had
No, y'all really making me feel
No, no. We have a bunch of stuff for you
and the baby. Jessica settles enough to
accept the help these women have brought
for her. But she doesn't let her guard
down entirely. It's just right now I'm
needing a place to stay. She thinks
y'all probably trying to take her away
from taking her away from mommy. But
Jessica does wind up separated from her
daughter. And according to the woman at
the police station, it happened later
that day. She came back to our job. At
this point, she's yelling at the
customers in there to give her money. I
said, "Ma'am, you got to leave like you
and you have to leave now." She said,
"Oh, I'm not leaving. I'm not leaving."
And then she kept she went took her in
the bathroom. When she left out there, I
called the police and she literally
pushed the buggy in the road and laughed
about it and they hurry up and grab it.
And I'm like, is she crazy? She says
that although she gave the officer
details about Jessica's behavior, she
was told that it would come down to her
word against the mothers. But it
wouldn't be long before Jessica would
return yet again. And this time, she
would come with a shocking offer. She
came back. I see her walking back
towards our job and she think come here.
Come here cuz I trust you. Come here. So
I'm like oh my god. I asked two of my
co-workers to walk out with me cuz I
don't know what's in somebody mind. And
as I walked over there she said if you
give me five from Jones right now you
can have it. I said have what? She said
have her. And she put her down in the
leaves. And I said are you serious? This
at this time the baby got up and she was
getting ready to walk in the road. And I
grabbed the baby and I picked her up and
I said, "I'm not giving you no money."
She said, "Well, just have her because
it's just it's just too much for me."
The woman's account nearly defies
belief, but when the police speak to
Jessica a couple of days later, they
hear a story that could turn the entire
case upside down. I went to file my
taxes at H&R Block. While I was there,
one of the members of my church filed my
taxes for me. She asked me if she could
keep my daughter overnight. She said she
wanted to buy her some clothes. She's
know I just got out of abusive marriage
and I'm trying to get back on my feet.
And this was Monday or Tuesday? No, this
is She's only been gone for two days.
Only two days. Okay. Well, today is
Thursday. So, I would make it what?
Tuesday night. Tuesday. Tuesday night.
You tell me like approximately what
time? 7. 7:00. 7 p.m. Yeah. 7 p.m. Okay.
Jessica says that although she was
reluctant at first, she ultimately
agreed to hand her daughter over for the
night. I allowed her to take Gigi and
about an hour after that, I got a knock
at the door from the police saying that
I was banned from H&R Block. So, I sent
a text message and I said, "If you not
produce my child, I'm going to call the
police." What's the this worker that you
go to church with? What's her name? Her
name's Crystal. She's a black girl with
the pink hair. Jessica paints herself as
a caring mother who was tricked into
giving up her baby, which is a far cry
from the story police heard at the
station. I said, "Do you want do you
need help?" Again, I'm asking you, "Do
you need help?" And she said, "No, I
don't need help. I just don't want the
bastard." And I said, "Okay." And I got
the baby. I was crying. I walked across
the street and I tried to wipe her up
and I pulled her in my car and I told
her, "She is going to be okay. This
should not go on with a child." Yeah, I
remember having a
conversation about trying to sell
Giovani. What? I'm just No. Okay. I
would never sell my child.
No. I I can't even believe that was even
stated. My child is my life. Not only is
Jessica's story completely different,
she tells the detectives that she knows
exactly what's going on here. To be
honest with you, my sister, me and her,
have a very bad
relationship.
She has wanted my child. She's told lies
to to my entire family. I believe she
sent Crystal to do
that on purpose because she laughed
yesterday in my face and told me I was
going to be in jail. So they said the so
sounds petty but it's true. I mean what
would be the reasoning they would do
that? Same reason she husband she's
spiteful. At the police station the
woman does express an interest in
keeping the child though it doesn't seem
to come from a place of malice. So, will
DCF let me take her home? Probably not.
But I just don't want her to have to go
to no one. Oh, absolutely. I'm just
being honest with you. There might there
might be a way. He might have to come
out and look at your house or he might.
So, we'll figure something out. But as
far as Jessica's concerned, there's no
reason why her daughter can't be with
her. You know, I don't deserve to be in
jail for this. I never ever hurt my
baby. If you see her head, she hit her.
It's right here. Yeah. Yeah. Can you see
it? She elbowed her last night. So that
was from last time.
You can see it good now. It's swole all
right here. The
bruise. She got dirt all in her nose.
I'm an RN. I can't lose my child or my
license. Jessica was a licensed
practical nurse, but her license was put
on probationary status a year prior when
she failed to notify the board of
nursing that she pled no contest to a
disorderly conduct charge. But the
detectives are only concerned about
Jessica's current story, which seems to
have a couple of significant problems. I
allowed her to take Gigi, and about an
hour after that, I got a knock at the
door from the police saying that I was
banned from H&R. Jessica's stated
timeline would put this at approximately
8:00 p.m. However, the detectives know
that she was banned from H&R Block at
11:30 in the morning. She asked me if
she could keep my daughter overnight.
That would make it what? Tuesday night.
Tuesday. Tuesday. Yeah. Jessica says
that Crystal took custody of the baby on
Tuesday night, which would have been
impossible given that the baby was
sitting in the police department on
Tuesday afternoon. Okay. And what what's
the this worker that you go to church
with? What's her name? Her name's
Crystal. But there's no one at H&R Block
by the name of Crystal. The woman who
brought her baby to the police station
is named Anita. And she says that she
only knows Jessica as a client. Are
y'all going to let me go? Um, no man.
No. There there is a warrant for your
arrest. I'm saying but like I mean you
you are under arrest. In February 2025,
Jessica Woods pled no contest to her
charges and was convicted of six crimes
against her child, including unlawful
desertion and illegally placing a child
for adoption. She was sentenced to four
years in prison and 10 years of
probation. According to the Palatka
Police Department, her daughter has been
placed in foster