Actress Accused of Snatching Baby from Casting Call

(CNN) -- An aspiring actress remained in jail in Canada on Friday, accused of faking a casting call for babies in an elaborate effort to snatch an infant.

The suspect, identified as Michelle Marie Gopaul, is facing charges of abduction of a minor, Toronto police said in a statement.

"The accused abducted a 1-month old girl from a casting audition," the statement said. "With the assistance of the public, police located the child."

Gopaul, a 24-year-old aspiring actress from New York, allegedly snatched the child on December 30, police said.

After moving to Canada, she allegedly placed an advertisement on Craigslist offering $15,000 for a newborn to act in a Bollywood-style film, CNN affiliate WABC reported.

She posed as a casting director and waited in a Toronto building for parents to arrive, the affiliate said.

Gopaul then allegedly abducted the young girl at the casting call after the girl's parents allowed her to take the child into another room. She fled with the child in a taxicab but the girl was found unharmed hours later, WABC said.

Gopaul's lawyer, Gary Batasar, said his client is supposed to be presumed innocent because the issue has not been decided in a courtroom.

"There is no evidence at this point that she did anything wrong," Batasar said.

Gopaul's next court appearance is scheduled for January 11.