MERIDIAN, Idaho — Police are searching for a Caldwell woman who bailed out of jail and disappeared after her arrest on child sex abuse charges.
Karla Ramirez, 21, was arrested in January 2021 on five felony counts of lewd conduct and six felony counts of sexual exploitation of a child.
According to investigators, Ramirez sexually touched children that had been left in her care and took explicit photographs of them at a Meridian home. The suspect was arrested and booked into the Ada County Jail following an investigation by Meridian Police, but posted a $750,000 bond and was released in March.
The criminal case was pushed back repeatedly, but ultimately Ramirez was set to appear in court for a plea change Jan. 3, 2022. She never showed up.
According to the Ada County Prosecutor's Office, Ramirez disabled her ankle monitor before going on the run.
The mother of one alleged victim, who KTVB is not naming to protect the identity of her child, said the suspect had been working for her family as a nanny.
"She has stolen so much from us," the mother said. "She has stolen so much from us. Our peace, our proper mourning."
Police have not released the ages of the victims, or said how many children in total were involved. Meridian Police say they are working with other agencies to find Ramirez and bring her back, but did not say whether they believe she had left Idaho or is still in the area.
Meanwhile, the mother interviewed by KTVB has taken matters into her own hands, starting a 'Catch Karla Ramirez' Facebook page to spread information about the case and offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to her capture. The woman said she is frustrated and heartbroken by the delays.
"We have been waiting a year for justice and COVID has delayed that pushing back these court dates," she said. "We want to see justice as quickly as possible to end this pain for our family, and to have closure."
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