Hoffman Estates woman charged with kidnapping daughter

A Cook County judge set bond at $10,000 Monday for a Hoffman Estates mother charged with child abduction after authorities said she took off with her baby daughter and triggered an Amber Alert Sunday.

Karina Gomez, who does not have custody of the 1-year-old girl, was shopping in a Schaumburg strip mall around noon with her mother, Maria Gomez, who is the child's court-appointed guardian.

When her mother went into a store, Karina Gomez, 21, got into the driver's seat and drove Maria's car to Country Club Hills to visit her boyfriend, the baby's biological father, authorities said.

"The defendant did not tell or call Maria, and an Amber Alert was issued," Assistant State's Attorney Mark Javier said.

Karina Gomez and the baby were found at the father's house later on Sunday, and she was arrested.

Karina Gomez, of the 300 block of Hawthorn Drive, was also charged by Schaumburg police with criminal trespass to a vehicle.

Karina Gomez has a prior conviction for forgery in 2007 and was given 24 months of probation. She lives with her mother and daughter and attends Harper College.

Judge Joseph Urso also ordered that Karina Gomez have no unsupervised contact with her child.

Maria Gomez was appointed guardian of the baby June 18 by Cook County Judge Mary Ellen Coghlan. Court documents state that the 1-year-old had no known father and her mother had no known address.

The Amber Alert was issued late Sunday afternoon and canceled around 6:15 p.m.

Gomez's next court date is Oct. 22 in the Rolling Meadows courthouse.

• Daily Herald staff writer Ted Cox contributed to this report.

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