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5-Month-Old Disappears From Crib

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DARLENE McCORMICK / The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 25, 1997

VALRICO — The baby's mother issues a public plea for the safe return of her daughter. Deputies say they have a couple of leads.

Police dogs searched the neighborhood and nearby woods. Helicopters hovered overhead. But by the end of the day Monday, 5-month-old baby Sabrina remained missing without a trace from her quiet suburban home.

Late Monday, the child's mother, Marlene Aisenberg, issued a public plea for the safe return of her daughter.

"This morning, someone came into our house and took our baby, Sabrina Paige, out of her crib, out of our home," Aisenberg said with a trembling voice and tears in her eyes.

"I'm begging that person to please bring our baby back to us. We miss her and love her very much," she said. "Please bring her home to her family."

Meanwhile, Hillsborough County sheriff's deputies late Monday said they were following a couple of leads in the case that is being treated as a kidnapping.

"We are continuing the investigation," said sheriff's Sgt. Rob Bullara at a news conference Monday night in front of the family's upscale home.

He said the probe has been joined by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI.

"Any time we have a small child missing, we pull together all our resources and work as a team," Bullara said.

He would not release any details of the investigation or shed any light on the leads developed throughout the day.

What investigators are saying is that sometime between midnight and 6:42 a.m. Monday, Sabrina Paige Aisenberg and her yellow baby blanket were taken from her crib.

The child's mother checked on the baby at midnight and she was fine, said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Greg Brown. When she got up in the morning to get her other two children — William, 8, and Monica, 4 — ready, she found her baby missing.

Whoever took the child didn't leave a note, Brown said. Authorities wouldn't say if there were signs of forced entry. The family left the garage door open overnight, Brown said. It's unclear as to whether the entrance door was locked, he added.

Brown wouldn't say if there were any signs of foul play or if the child's window had been open. The family has an alarm system, but neighbors said they never used it.

Marlene Aisenberg and her husband, Steve, were routinely questioned by investigators Monday, authorities said. Family vehicles were taken in for inspection.

The couple are the child's biological parents, Brown said, adding he knows of no custody disputes. The missing child's maternal grandfather has offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the child's safe return.

People living around the cul-de-sac near the Aisenberg's home said they never witnessed any problems with the family. They spoke highly of the couple who bought the home at 3632 Springville Drive in 1993 for $117,000. The family is from Maryland, neighbors said.

Marlene Aisenberg runs Play Time Pals, a play program for children, from her home, and her husband is a licensed real estate agent, according to neighbors and records.

Next-door neighbor Martha Jones said her dogs never bark, but they woke up her husband, Charles, between 3 and 4 a.m. He looked outside but didn't see anything unusual, she said.

An upset Marlene Aisenberg came to her door around 7 a.m., Jones said.

"The first thing out of her mouth was, "My baby's gone,' " she said. "Somebody came in and got Sabrina."

Neighbors reported the Aisenberg dog, Brownie, was inside the house Sunday night but had been found outside that morning.

"They're a normal family, just too trusting," said neighbor Paula Rowland, who said she warned them to keep their garage door closed at night.

"I'm sure she didn't realize it was open," Rowland said. "It was accidental. I don't leave my doors open, especially at night.

"They are trusting people, but they won't trust anyone again," Rowland said.

The Aisenbergs have lived in their house for four years, Rowland said. "They are normal folks," she said. "It is not fair that this happened."

Rowland said there had been several break-in attempts in the neighborhood recently — including one at her home two weeks ago. Sometime after dark, someone tried to break through their screen door, she said, but apparently got scared when their dog barked.

Aisenberg family members had little to say.

"We just want her back," said a woman who identified herself as the baby's aunt before leaving the scene.

The child's paternal grandfather in Maryland, Irwin Aisenberg, said Monday evening that his daughter-in-law is beset with grief.

"She is taking it very hard," he said. "How does a parent take something like a missing child? It's the only thing they can think about."

Family members believe that whoever snatched Sabrina was acquainted with the household, he said, at least "somebody who was familiar with the house."

Authorities are asking for the public's help in solving the case. Baby Sabrina was last seen wearing a lavender, one-piece outfit with a floral pattern. Anyone with information should call 247-8685.

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