On Sunday morning, police officers found a newborn baby girl inside a tote bag outside a Bronx apartment in New York. The girl was wrapped in a blanket and was later transported to a hospital where she is now in stable condition.
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Police released security camera footage that a person carrying the green reusable tote bag and later leaving the bag on the doorsteps of 1102 Reverend James Polite Ave, according to News 12 The Bronx. According to the outlet, the person in question surveyed several other houses around the neighborhood before finally leaving the newborn girl abandoned.
At around 6 a.m. police answered a 911 call and found the baby at the address. The owner of the home found the newborn girl at his doorstep. He concluded that she may be only a couple of days old. Neighbors were left shocked after learning about this cruel abandonment of a defenseless child.
"I can't get it through my head how somebody would do that," one neighbor told FOX 5. "Hearing that this is even a thing is very disturbing for this neighborhood," another neighbor told the news outlet.
The baby is currently stable a ta hospital. A this time, no arrests have been made and police are currently investigating the incident. The New York State's Abandonment Infant Protection Act states that a parent can surrender their child 30 days after birth without expecting any charges. However, this would not apply hear as the Protection Act states that any infants should be dropped off safely. This means, at suitable locations such as hospitals or fire stations or handed to an appropriate person.
An Epidemic
Unfortunately, this is far from the only recent case in which a baby is left abandoned in such a manner. A recent piece in The Washington Post revealed a worrying number of babies abandoned throughout Houston.
For instance, in June two babies were left inside a clothing donation bin and in some bushes, respectively. One other baby was left inside an industrial ditch while another one was found in a trash truck's compactor. Most recently, one baby was abandoned at a Whataburger, days before Christmas. A sheriff labeled these acts as an "epidemic."
According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, a total of 18 babies have been abandoned across Texas. This represents a more than 150% increase compared to 10 years before when only 7 babies were abandoned.
