Mother accused of sneaking her 11-year-old daughter out a Phoenix hospital may have done it before

PHOENIX - A mother accused of sneaking her 11-year-old daughter out a Phoenix hospital may have done it before.

Phoenix police said they’re looking into the family’s past after receiving a report this wasn’t the first time the girl's mother may have endangered her daughter’s health.

“We understand they have potentially done this before, left the hospital prematurely before after receiving some treatment for Emily. We believe some of that occurred, probably, more in California than it did here in Arizona,” said Phoenix Police Sergeant Steve Martos.

Martos said investigators were trying to track down more specifics on what may have happened and where in California.

Police said surveillance video from Phoenix Children’s Hospital shows 35-year-old Norma Bracamontes taking her daughter, Emily, out of the hospital without telling anyone on November 28.

Emily was undergoing leukemia treatment.

Police said the mother changed her daughter’s clothes, put a wig on her, and removed IV tubing which doctors say could expose Emily to an infection that could potentially result in death.

ABC15 has also learned federal investigators have alerted various authorities in Mexico to be on the lookout for little Emily.

“We reached out to the FBI. There was some information we wanted relayed to law enforcement in Mexico and also to provide information to hospitals across the border so they have assisted us in providing information to our counterparts in Mexico,” said Martos.

Martos said the girl has family in Mexico and investigators stopped and questioned Emily’s father, Luis Bracamontes, 46, at the Arizona/Mexico border a few days after she disappeared.

Hospital surveillance video may also provide police with a key clue in the case.

In it, you could see Emily’s mother using what appeared to be a cell phone before leaving the hospital which, if still in use, can be used to track her location.

Phoenix police would not confirm or deny investigators are looking into cell phone records but it is a common practice if someone’s life could be in danger.