NEW ROADS, La. — The three-month-old infant at the center of Saturday night’s Amber Alert is safe, but the woman accused of taking her remains not in custody.

Authorities say the incident occurred over the weekend in New Roads. The suspect, Carnasia Mims, spoke with WBRZ Sunday, calling the situation a misunderstanding and insisting she did nothing wrong. 

Deputies say it was the child’s father who reported the infant missing. According to the sheriff’s office, the father is the baby’s lawful caretaker while her mother remains in jail. They say the story they're hearing from Mims doesn't add up.

“That person that picked up the child did not have his permission to take the child from him. She forcefully took the child out of his hands? According to the father, yes, so that's why we have charges on that person,” Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff Rene' Thibodeaux.

The sheriff’s office confirmed that multiple attempts to locate the baby initially failed. Louisiana State Police were called in, and an Amber Alert was issued.

“And that's what the statements are from the father, who, at that time should have been a legal guardian of the child, who had the child in his possession,” Thibodeaux said. “You have to take it very seriously, but then you have to do a lot of investigation, investigating to make sure what are the circumstances and what is going to be the process.” 

Shortly after the alert went out, an anonymous tip led troopers to a home in East Baton Rouge Parish, where the baby was found unharmed. Mims was not at the location.

Mims told WBRZ that she had left the child with her own mother and was going to the store when the Amber Alert was issued. She said several family members had been helping take care of the infant.

“I got the baby from him. He gave me the baby,” Mims told WBRZ Sunday.

However, authorities say her account does not fully match what deputies have been told. 

“Someone knows that they are in trouble. They're going to tell you what you want to hear and try to make up something to keep them innocent. That happens every day here,” the sheriff’s office said.

Officials emphasized that if Mims truly believed she was helping, she would have stayed at the home and waited for law enforcement. 

“Stay there and help, or if the father gave her permission, that's a whole different story. But I mean, if you're caring about the baby, you don't kidnap a baby,” Thibodeaux said.

Mims said that the father was not supposed to have the child due to a protective order filed by the mother. 

After checking with the clerk of court to search records, WBRZ did not find any custody orders currently in place for the child.

The Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone with information about Carnasia Mims’ location to contact them immediately.