Woman charged with kidnapping, tampering with corpse in connection with missing Austin mother, newborn
AUSTIN, Texas - A woman believed to be a friend of an Austin mother who went missing last week has been arrested in connection with her disappearance.
Magen Rose Fieramusca was arrested Thursday morning on traffic charges, but by mid-afternoon, she was charged with two counts of kidnapping and one count of tampering with evidence of a human corpse.
33-year-old Heidi Broussard was found in the trunk of a car outside a home in Harris County Thursday. Her newborn Margo Carey was unharmed and found inside the home.
A car found at the scene is registered to Fieramusca, but it is not confirmed at this time if this is the same car Broussard was found in. Police also have not identified her as a primary suspect or identified any other suspects.
Fieramusca's bonds total $600,000.
Broussard and her daughter Margo were reported missing on Dec. 12. Broussard was last seen dropping off her six-year-old son at Cowan Elementary School, and police say she returned to her apartment in South Austin shortly after.
Her boyfriend and Margo's father, Shane Carey arrived home from work and found that the two were not home, but most of Broussard's belongings and all of baby Margo's supplies were still there, and Broussard's car was still parked outside. Broussard's phone was also off and she didn't pick up their son after school, Carey said.
Austin police began their investigation into Broussard's disappearance, questioning neighbors, interviewing those closest to her and gathering evidence from her apartment.
Investigators conducted video surveillance and spent days following up on hundreds of tips that led them across county lines to a home on Bo Jack Drive in Harris County. Authorities reportedly showed up to check on the welfare of a one-month-old baby girl and that the child was taken to a hospital to be checked out and did not have any obvious signs of injury.
A body of a deceased adult female was found in the trunk of a car outside the home and on Friday, the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences confirmed the body to be that of Broussard.
The cause of death is being reported as "ligature strangulation."
