Tale of Buying Baby for $10 Was Bogus, Police Say

TUSTIN —  When Robert Garcia told authorities that he bought a baby from a drug addict for $10, police officers and child abuse experts thought the story was too bizarre to be true.

They were right.

“The whole story was bogus,” Police Chief Doug Franks said at a news conference Monday afternoon, explaining that Garcia and his 17-year-old girlfriend are the parents of the healthy, eight-pound baby boy. “I know it’s hard to believe, but kids can be very creative.”

Garcia, 18, confessed that he had concocted the twisted tale, as reporters from around the country and overseas, including representatives from USA Today, Cable News Network and the British Broadcasting Co., swarmed on Tustin police headquarters, frantic to learn more.

“It wasn’t until someone made him out as a hero that he got a real case of the guilties,” Sgt. Mark Bergquist said. “After that it was real easy to get him to tell the truth.”

The baby was brought to Orangewood Children’s Home on Monday afternoon, and a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday to decide his fate. Police say they believe that the teen-aged couple, and the girl’s single father, may take responsibility for the child. No family members were available for comment.