It seems like every week there is a new story of some pious faithhead circumventing the law because they know better. Laura Maria Caballero, AKA Sister Mary, the leader of a Lake County, FL church, St Filumena Catholic Church, is
being charged on multiple counts ranging from false imprisonment to tampering with a witness.
The Lake County church leader accused of taking a toddler to Argentina without permission believed she was acting in the child's best interest, according to a transcript of a phone conversation.
"The only thing we did was to make her happy," said Laura Maria Caballero, known as Sister Mary and head of St. Filumena Catholic Church in Eustis. "I saved that girl's life three times. And now, the thing that's happening is that the police (want) to create a child-trafficking case that doesn't exist."
I am pretty sure this fits the definition of child trafficking. This crazy Catholic lady kidnapped a child and whisked her away to Argentina. She also called a witness who notarized the paperwork to take the child out of the country (I hope this person will also be charged) and tried to talk her out of testifying.
It’s a recurring theme: church knows best, therefore church is above the law. If this child was truly in danger, then there is an agency that actually handles the case called the Department of Social Services.
This story takes a special twist at the end.
The toddler's father, Jose Juan Ochoa Avalos, admitted during a court deposition that he paid a smuggler $1,800 to sneak him into the U.S. He claims Caballero tried to use that information to keep their baby.
The documents also show that Caballero, who was present at the toddler's birth in January 2008, paid for the child's medical bills, bought food and diapers, and cared for her during long stretches when the parents couldn't.
Exploiting immigrants? I am glad that there isn’t some kind of anti-immigrant feeling in this country. I hope this women finds the true definition of pain, suffering, and persecution.
