Suspect in baby Sofia kidnapping, mom’s killing handed extradition papers

The suspect in the killing of a woman and the kidnapping of her infant daughter in November has been served with paperwork that would extradite her from Texas to Kansas, officials said Tuesday.

Yesenia Sesmas was served the papers on Friday and was provided an attorney to assist her with reviewing the documents, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said in a statement.

Sesmas, 34, is being held in the Dallas County Jail. She is accused of killing Laura Abarca-Nogueda, a former co-worker, and abducting Abarca-Nogueda’s newborn daughter, Sofia, on Nov. 17 from a west Wichita apartment.

The search for Sofia quickly went nationwide, and a tip led investigators to Dallas. A SWAT team found Sofia at a Dallas home early on the morning of the second day following her kidnapping, and arrested Sesmas.

Sofia, who was 6 days old when she was stolen, has been returned to her family.

Bennett said he expects to receive another update from Texas officials next week. The extradition process is likely to take up to three months, the office said.

Sesmas, a Mexican national, was in the United States illegally at the time of the homicide, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

This story was originally published January 10, 2017 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Suspect in baby Sofia kidnapping, mom’s killing handed extradition papers."