SANFORD, Fla. — Deceitful and convincing is how a young mother Tuesday described the woman who stole a baby inside a Sanford hospital.

Jennifer Latham dressed up as a nurse inside Central Florida Regional Hospital last Friday. She tried to grab one baby, but when that mother didn’t let her she snuck off and took another.

Alison Pastor holds her 5-day-old daughter Aubriana close because she knows how close she came to losing her.

“She had her in her hands. She could’ve walked out of the room at any time,” Pastor told Eyewitness News.

Pastor said her baby was the first target of Jennifer Latham, who walked into her Sanford hospital room dressed as a nurse and claimed she needed to take the newborn for a hearing test. When Pastor’s father started asking questions, Latham gave the baby back and made off with another child before getting stopped by police on I-4.

But, Pastor said, the image of Latham in her mug shot barely resembles the one who tried to take her daughter.

“She looks crazy [in the mug shot]. She didn’t look like that when she came in. Her hair was pulled back. She was very professional. She had badges on,” Pastor said.

Despite nearly being released, a judge Tuesday said Latham would remain in jail because she tried to hide a history of out of state arrests.

“I’m not surprised at all. I knew she’d try to keep it a secret. She’s done some shady stuff,” said Latham’s ex-husband, Scott Winternheimer.

Winternheimer said Latham has a history of drug abuse and, over the last nine months, created a story about being pregnant by a new boyfriend.

“And, I think in her sick mind, if she had this child, it would keep that boyfriend around and he’d always be there, because that would be his child,” Winternheimer said.

Because of the judge’s ruling Tuesday, Latham will remain in jail until at least April 29 when she has her next hearing.