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Florida sailor accused of deserting post after having baby

Posted at 9:14 AM, Feb 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-02-24 18:41:13-05

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- A 24-year-old U.S. Navy sailor is accused of deserting her post after having a baby.

Ana Lucia Gnecco remains on a military hold in a Florida jail Friday after being arrested at her parents' home Wednesday. Gnecco's daughter was born in August.

Her father, Armando Rodriguez, tells the SunSentinel the Navy is claiming "she basically went AWOL."

The newspaper reports Gnecco, a seaman quartermaster, was supposed to return to her base in Portsmouth, Virginia, on Jan. 14.

Navy public affairs officer Christina Johnson says the arrest was the last resort, adding "all efforts were made to get her back to work."

Rodriguez says he hopes she will be discharged. He says Gnecco's family -- including sisters and her mother -- have helped care for the baby.