On Tuesday in Houston, construction worker Carlos Mitchel was throwing trash into a dumpster when he heard a strange noise that he said sounded like a cat. Upon further inspection in the trash bin, he discovered a baby tied up in a plastic bag, along with pieces of food and a student’s homework. The baby still had his umbilical cord attached.
Mitchel, who is a grandfather, said that the child was conscious and breathing despite being found upside down in the trash bin. The construction worker kept the baby warm in his van while he waited for police to arrive on the scene.
EMT crews arrived quickly and gave the baby medical attention. His skin color and breathing improved–the child is now in a stable condition in hospital.
“I think it’s something cruel to do. There’s no excuse,” Ivette Lobato, a resident in a nearby apartment complex, said.
After tips from neighbors in the area surrounding the dumpster, Houston police were able to locate the 16-year-old mother. She was taken to a hospital where she currently remains.
Subsequent to her release, authorities will determine if the girl shall face charges.
Under the “Baby Moses” law, Texas parents are allowed to drop off unharmed, unwanted children less than 60 days old at hospitals or fire stations with no questions asked. Dropped-off babies will then receive medical care and be placed in the custody of Child Protective Services.
Despite this law, there have been several disturbing incidents of mothers abandoning newborns over the last year. As Breitbart News reported, one abandoned baby was discovered in a Victoria’s Secret shopping bag in New York last October. Unfortunately, the infant in this case was found dead. A 17-year-old gave birth and subsequently asphyxiated the baby. New York has a “Baby Moses” law, like Texas.
Follow Kristin Tate on Twitter @KristinBTate
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