A homeless woman in Hawaii allegedly gave birth on a sidewalk and was then seen dragging her newborn baby girl by the umbilical cord down the street.
The New York Post reported that police and firefighters responded to reports that a woman delivered a baby on the streets of downtown Hilo on the Big Island, Hawaii, last Tuesday, January 16. They found the woman, later identified as Ashley Aileen Maile Lum, with her baby and the umbilical cord still attached.
Medics cut the cord and began giving the baby medical care. She was breathing but was not moving at the time. The baby was then taken to the Hilo Medical Center Emergency Room.
“Thankfully, the baby’s life was spared,” said Capt. Rio Amon-Wilkins, commander of the East Hawaii Criminal Investigation Division. “According to the pediatric doctor that night in the hospital, she was fine.” She was placed in the custody of Child Welfare Services and is reportedly in good condition despite her ordeal.
Amon-Wilkins said a doctor estimated that the baby was born at about 38 weeks and “was definitely viable.”
After the umbilical cord had been cut, the baby’s mother began to walk away but was ultimately stopped and taken into custody by police on suspicion of child abandonment. She was taken to the hospital for treatment and was later released from police custody without being charged. An investigation is pending as she is admitted to the hospital.
The Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported that court records show Lum has a minor criminal record with no prior felony convictions. She has allegedly been living in downtown Hilo for years and has been seen shouting at cars and pedestrians. There were allegedly several witnesses to the incident with her baby.
“It was right in front of Pineapples Restaurant, so there were a lot of people who were able to witness the behavior and everything that followed,” said Amon-Wilkins.
According to an article posted at MSN, “Despite reappearing in the region on Thursday, January 18, locals reported that when contacted, she had ‘no recollection’ of giving birth.”
This is the second shocking case involving a homeless woman and a newborn baby in Hawaii in as many months. In December, a homeless woman was seen giving birth outside and then putting the newborn baby in a nearby trash bin in Honolulu. A bystander got the baby out of the garbage and called for help.
“It felt like a dream almost, a scary dream, like a nightmare,” said the good samaritan who did not want to be identified. “It was very sad, just a very sad moment. That’s definitely scary to think about what would have happened if I wasn’t here. I broke down a little bit and started crying because I didn’t know how someone could just leave their kid like that.”
A child abandonment case has been opened concerning that case, though the mother was not immediately located.
In Hawaii, it is legal for a parent to surrender their infant within the first three days after birth to any hospital, fire station, police station, or emergency medical personnel without fear of prosecution as long as the baby is unharmed. Every U.S. state has a Safe Haven Law allowing a newborn’s safe surrender.
