Police Searching For Parents Of Hours-Old Newborn Baby Abandoned In Upper Darby
UPPER DARBY, Pa (CBS) -- Police in Upper Darby are looking for the parents of an abandoned newborn baby. Police tweeted that an hours-old newborn was left alone on the 100 block of Englewood Road.
That baby is safe after police say a resident found the baby girl wrapped in a blanket on a neighbor's porch around 1 p.m. Tuesday.
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"Once I came out and saw the white towel, I didn't pay it no mind. But once I saw a little arm, I thought it was some sort of animal or something," said Terrell Phillips.
Once he realized it was an infant, he contacted the owner of the home where the baby was found.
"I said it's not my baby, I don't know anything about this baby. So I just called the cops," Thomas Daley said.
It was 93 degrees when the baby was found.
In Pennsylvania, there is a safe haven law that allows the guardian to take a child that is 28 days old and younger to a police station, hospital or fire station without facing criminal charges.
"A child at 28-days-old can be left at a hospital and/or a police station without any criminality as long as the child's safe. Now mom is facing charges of recklessly endangering and endangering the welfare of a child," Upper Darby Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood said.
But that is not what happened in this case, police believe the suspect may be a young mother.
"Probably a 13, 14 or 15 years of age. The child was apparently born elsewhere, the umbilical cord was cut and the child was cleaned up pretty good so we think it's right in the neighborhood," Chitwood said.
The mother could face child endangerment and endangering the welfare of a child.
"I just want the best for that little girl, that's all," Phillips said.
Police say hospitals are on high alert Tuesday evening, and they believe the mother may live in the neighborhood where the baby was found.
If you have any information, please contact Upper Darby Police at 610-734-7693.
CBS3's Kimberly Davis contributed to this report.
