Couple who tried to sell 6-month-old baby outside Walmart arrested

Salinas police officers arrested a couple who they say tried to sell their 6-month-old baby for $25 on Tuesday night outside Walmart. Police spokesman Officer Lalo Villegas said the father tried to sell the child at around 7:20 p.m. outside the store on North Davis Road.

Villegas said Salinas resident Patrick Fousek, 28, had approached two women and asked to use their cell phone. After he finished, police said, Fousek asked the women, who were playing with the baby, if they would like purchase his daughter for $25. “They thought he was joking,” Villegas said. “They laughed, but he was very persistent. That’s when they knew this guy was serious.”



Police said Fousek immediately left and went to the car where the mother, Samatha Tomasini, 20, was waiting. As the couple drove away, Villegas said, the two women were able to get the pair’s license plate number. At around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Villegas said, police officers tracked down the couple at their residence on the 700 block of East Romie Lane.

Police arrested Fousek and Tomasini on suspicion of child endangerment and being under the influence of a controlled substance. Fousek, police said, was also on probation. The pair were booked into the Monterey County Jail. Police said the baby has since been taken by Child Protective Services.