Netflix's latest true crime film explores the harrowing case of a woman whose desire to be a mother landed her in prison.10:00, 13 Aug 2026Alejandra Mendoza was convicted of kidnapping a newborn from a hospital, and the baby's mother has spoken out.Fans of true crime documentaries like Maternal Instinct are urged to watch a tragic film about Alejandra Mendoza, a Mexican woman who went to drastic measures to have a baby.A Child of My Own on Netflix, which weaves fictionalised retellings of the events with real-life interviews and home video footage, explores how Alejandra Mendoza was given a 13-year prison sentence for kidnapping a newborn.After she married her husband Arturo, the couple dreamed of having a child, but sadly Alejandra struggled to see a pregnancy through and she suffered three miscarriages.Feeling pressure from her husband's family, and with Arturo desperate to have a son, Alejandra made a life-changing decision to fake her third pregnancy.She said an unmissable opportunity arose when she met a single mother called Mayra at the hospital, who was pregnant with her second child from a different father, but did not want to keep the baby. Here is Mayra's story and what happened to her.What happened between Mayra and Alejandra?Alejandra was working at a hospital when she miscarried her third baby, but instead of telling her family the truth, she decided to keep the miscarriage a secret.Instead, she made the decision to fake the pregnancy right through to the end, with a doctor even granting her maternity leave, satisfied he could hear a baby's heartbeat.Shortly after hearing the news of the miscarriage, she said she came across a woman named Mayra, whom she claimed did not want to keep her unborn child.She further claimed they struck up a conversation and secured a deal that after giving birth, Mayra would hand her baby over to Alejandra, who would raise her as her own.The courts found this to be untrue, with the evidence stacked against Alejandra. A prison psychiatrist found she suffered from 'disassociation', which supposedly led her to believe certain fabrications were real.After Mayra gave birth, Alejandra took the baby girl out of the hospital by carrying her in a gift bag. It was at this point that she finally revealed the truth to her husband Arturo, who was shocked to find out what she had done and how she had lied.He reluctantly agreed to hide Alejandra and the baby so they wouldn't get caught; however, the hospital reported the baby missing and Alejandra and Arturo were arrested hours later at a nearby hotel.As for Mayra, she claims she had no conversations with Alejandra until the day her baby was born. She said Alejandra introduced herself as a social worker carrying out surveys, and when Mayra went to the bathroom, Alejandra took this opportunity to take the baby without her consent.What happened to Mayra's abducted baby?Thankfully, Mayra's daughter was unharmed and after Alejandra and Arturo were arrested, the baby was returned to Mayra.The film's creator, Maite Alberdi, interviewed Mayra's child, who is now a healthy and happy teenager. She had joked her parents are over-protective and won’t let her go to parties in case something terrible happened.In an interview with The Guardian in July 2026, Alberdi said she decided not to include the daughter's interview in her film: “I didn’t want to victimise her when she’s not a victim," she said.‌"Her friends don’t know. In school, she would just become the girl who was kidnapped. I didn’t want to create an issue in her adolescence.”Where is Mayra now?‌As for Mayra, she features at the end of the film, where she has her say on the fact that Alejandra had denied her version of events.Alberdi continued to tell The Guardian: “She suffered so much. I understand that she cannot forgive Alejandra.”In the film, Mayra is heard telling her side of the story, adding: "I don't have any sympathy for her. I never have. She didn't feel any sympathy when she kidnapped my daughter.‌"And she hasn't shown any remorse either. If you ask me if I have forgiven her or if I...it's something that...no, I couldn't do. And I don't think I can ever forgive her."Alejandra did later admit upon her release from prison: "What did I do wrong to be here? Breaking the law, lying, deceiving, causing pain."I was afraid and scared that he [Arturo] would leave me for failing to become a mother and I would be targeted and judged. Actually, I was judged for something much worse in the end."Article continues belowA Child of My Own is on NetflixIf you have been affected by any content in this article, please call Samaritans on 116 123 at any time of day for support.