Who is Rebecca Lanette Taylor? Texas woman arrested after allegedly trying to buy baby at Walmart for $500,000

Rebecca Lanette Taylor attempted to purchase a child at Walmart queue (Image via Crockett Police Department and Bilgin Sasmaz/Getty Images)

Rebecca Lanette Taylor, a 49-year-old woman from Texas, was arrested after allegedly attempting to purchase a child at a Walmart store in Crockett. Authorities reported that the woman even tried to pay the infant’s mother $500,000 in exchange for her child.

The woman continued to make her bargain while standing in the parking lot outside the store before leaving in a black SUV. The mother immediately reported the incident to the Crockett Police Department and filed an affidavit against the woman.

Officials reportedly found evidence of the mother’s claim from a surveillance video and charged Rebecca Lanette Taylor with a third-degree felony for attempted sale or purchase of a child. She was later detained at the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and released on a $50,000 bond.

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Everything to know about Rebecca Lanette Taylor and her attempted child purchase case

Rebecca Lanette Taylor is a woman from Texas who recently made news for getting arrested after trying to buy a child from a local Walmart store. Not much is known about her personal life, but she is reportedly based in Crockett.

The 49-year-old, accompanied by another woman, allegedly approached a mother and her two children at a self-checkout line in Walmart on January 13, 2022.

According to an affidavit obtained by KETK-TV, Rebecca Lanette Taylor started commenting on the mother’s younger child and complimented his “blue eyes and blonde hair.” She then asked the mother the cost of purchasing her son.

As the mother “laughed off” the remark, Taylor said she had $250,000 in the car and offered her the money for her son. The former replied saying “no amount of money would do” but the woman continued to make the bargain.

In a bizarre turn of events, Rebecca Lanette Taylor began to call the child by his real name when the mother asked her to “back away” from her son. The latter confirmed that she had never met the woman before and did not understand how she knew her son’s name.

Taylor told the mother she has waited to buy a child for a long time and her son was “the perfect fit.” Although the woman exited the store, she continued to wait for the mother and child at the parking lot.

As the mother attempted to head towards her car, she spotted Taylor standing behind a black SUV beside her vehicle. The official report mentioned the woman told the mother that she is ready to increase the amount to $500,000 to purchase her son:

“Taylor began screaming at (the mother), saying if she wouldn’t take $250,000 for him, then she would give her $500,000 because she wanted him and she was going to take him.”

Shortly after, Taylor left the venue with her companion. Crockett Police Department Lieutenant Ahleea Price visited Rebecca Lanette Taylor’s residence but she refused to communicate or co-operate with the officer. Price reported:

“She told me that she doesn’t like thieves, then she stated I could speak with her attorney and to get off her ‘precipice.’ She slammed the door shut.”

Although Taylor was released on bond following the arrest, the case is currently under investigation. If found guilty of the charges, she can face a minimum of two years and a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 under the Texas Penal Code.