Kidnapping suspect’s beau: Pregnancy was real

ALTOONA, Pa. (AP) — The boyfriend of a central Pennsylvania woman charged with kidnapping her roommate’s 1-month-old niece says police are wrong if they believe the suspect faked her pregnancy.

Twenty-three-year-old Leon Williams Jr. said that 19-year-old Sherry Beere really was pregnant. Williams says his “entire family, all my friends, all felt the baby kick. How can it be fake?”

Police aren’t sure, but they don’t believe Beere was pregnant before she took the baby while her roommate, the child’s aunt, was sleeping about 3 a.m. Saturday.

Police say Beere returned the child after her roommate confronted Beere at Williams’ home several hours later. That’s when police say Beere turned around and called 911 to report her baby had been kidnapped.

Police investigated and determined Beere was never pregnant and kidnapped the baby. She faces a preliminary hearing Wednesday.