Madeline Reyes says her daughter Cassidy has been gone for 12 days.
She says the child's father, Anthony Smith, can see his daughter every third weekend of the month.
On those weekends, he picks her up in the morning and then brings her back to sleep at her mother's.
Reyes says Smith picked up his daughter on Sunday, May 26, like usual, but didn't bring her back at the end of the day.
She says she and Smith have had a difficult relationship. He lives in Cary, North Carolina but she had no reason to believe he would abduct their daughter.
"I think he had a plan to do this," Reyes said through an interpreter. "I know nothing about my daughter. I don't know if she's eaten or if she's okay."
Police have been working to get in touch with Smith who missed a court appearance yesterday in this case.
"P.D. is on top of it locally, U.S. Marshals are involved, the prosecutor is involved, and also North Carolina P.D. is aware and they are working in conjunction to get her baby back," Paterson City Councilman Luis Velez said.
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