A premature newborn baby was found abandoned near a bayou in Texas over the weekend with her umbilical cord still attached.
According to a June 15 Facebook post from Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, “[A] pre-mature infant girl still with umbilical cord attached, was discovered abandoned and wrapped in a blanket. The infant has been transported [to] a hospital in fair condition.”
The baby girl was discovered by Daniela Fedele, who told KHOU that she was on a walk on the popular Bear Creek walking trail on Saturday morning with her family when they found her.
“I noticed two little feet moving and then my husband was right behind me with the dogs, and I yelled out to my husband. I’m like, ‘oh my god, a baby, a baby,'” she explained.
Juan Garcia, of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office’s Child Abuse Unit, said, “The baby was a newborn, still had a fresh placenta on the baby, so it was freshly born this morning.”
Police are seeking information about a young male who was seen holding the newborn in a towel. Surveillance video shows the baby being left on a small bridge, and a man running away from the scene. Below is a video of a press conference regarding the discovery of the baby:
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The video also shows Fedele and her husband calling the police and then flagging down law enforcement as they arrive at the scene. “I spoke to the couple that discovered the child, and you know, the mom is in a state where she is very emotional because she has a child of her own,” said Garcia.
He also took the opportunity to remind citizens about the state’s Safe Haven Law, known as the Baby Moses Law. The law allows parents who feel unable to care for their child to leave a baby 60 days old or younger with emergency medical workers without facing charges. “You can always go to a fire station, go to a hospital, you know, release and render the child to… professional services,” he said. Safe haven locations in Texas include hospitals, fire stations, and emergency medical services (EMS) stations. Babies must be handed to an employee.
Brittany Barnes, who lives in the neighborhood, noted, “Tragic situation that the baby ended up there, you know, but at least the baby is safe.”
The baby is in stable condition at Methodist Hospital, but officials said the person who left her on the bridge could be charged with abandoning and endangering a child.
