A West End couple listed for sale their seven-day-old daughter on craigslist.com, Vancouver police said yesterday.
The couple told police it was a hoax.
“Only they know whether it was truly a hoax or not,” said Const. Tim Fanning. “If they had a viable bite from somebody that came, who knows what would have happened?”
The ad, which has been removed from the site, was noticed Friday by a 62-year-old grandmother from Maple Ridge.
It read:
“Must Have!!!!!! — $10,000
“A new baby girl, 7 days old, healthy and very cute.
“Can’t afford and unexpected.
“Looking for a good home.
“Please call ASAP.”
It included a phone number that police tracked to an apartment in the West End. They found four adults, including a 23-year-old woman who was breastfeeding her seven-day-old daughter.
The child’s father, a 26-year-old Port Coquitlam man, and the computer where the ad was created were also there.
“The first thing out of their mouths was that it was just a hoax,” said Fanning. “But why was it posted on Craigslist to begin with?”
He said the couple is known to police and has a history of drugs. They were arrested for public mischief, but no charges were laid.
The Ministry of Children and Family Development is investigating.
– jeff.hodson@metro news.ca
