Current:Home > FinanceTrendPulse|2 are in custody after baby girl is found abandoned behind dumpsters in Mississippi -Apex Profit Path
TrendPulse|2 are in custody after baby girl is found abandoned behind dumpsters in Mississippi
Johnathan Walker View
Date:2025-04-11 08:58:55
Two people are TrendPulsein custody in connection with the abandonment of a newborn girl who was found behind dumpsters at a Mississippi mobile home park, authorities said.
The two people were arrested Friday afternoon, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. Authorities did not provide further details on who they were but noted that the newborn remained in good condition and is recovering at a hospital.
The sheriff's office said the baby was discovered around 7:00 p.m. local time Wednesday. She was bundled up in several blankets and in a car seat behind dumpsters at the Grove of Cayce mobile home park in Marshall County, about 35 miles southeast of Memphis near the Tennessee border.
The baby was transported to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis in good condition, authorities said.
"We would like to thank you for your help, support and prayers for this little girl," the sheriff's office said on Facebook.
The incident spurred discussion of Safe Haven laws with some community members calling for more publicity on safe surrenders and baby boxes. A spokesperson with Le Bonheur Children's Hospital declined to comment on the ongoing investigation but cited Tennessee’s Safe Haven law — which allows mothers to surrender unharmed newborns to designated facilities within two weeks of birth without fear of being prosecuted, according to the state's Department of Children's Services and WREG-TV.
Relapse. Overdose. Saving lives:How a Detroit addict and mom of 3 is finding her purpose
Every state has a Safe Haven law
All 50 states in addition to the the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico have enacted a Safe Haven law, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Safe Haven laws provide a way for a person to safely relinquish an unharmed newborn without any risk of prosecution.
But the laws do vary from state to state. In most states, either parent may surrender their baby to a Safe Haven location, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
"Approximately seven states require parents to relinquish their infants only to a hospital, emergency medical services provider, or health-care facility," the Child Welfare Information Gateway states. "In 32 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, fire stations also are designated as safe haven providers. Personnel at police stations or other law enforcement agencies may accept infants in 27 states and Puerto Rico."
While Safe Haven laws generally allow parents to remain anonymous, meaning some states won't compel them to reveal their identity, the process is not entirely anonymous.
According to Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, it can be considered abandonment if a parent does not directly hand their child to an employee at a Safe Haven location. In 2018 and 2019, authorities investigated two cases in Kentucky and Louisiana where babies were left outside a fire station and a hospital.
A parent may also be asked to voluntarily fill out paperwork on the child's medical history or provide any other relevant information to the Safe Haven location. Once the child is deemed unharmed, the parent is able to leave.
'I instantly fell in love':Florida firefighter adopts baby found in Safe Haven Baby Box
Some states have anonymous Safe Haven Baby Boxes
After learning she was abandoned as an infant, Kelsey founded Safe Haven Baby Boxes to educate others on Safe Haven laws and help mothers who want to stay completely anonymous, according to the non-profit organization.
"The Safe Haven Baby Box takes the face-to-face interaction out of the surrender and protects the mother from being seen," the organization states.
Currently, 15 states have baby box locations, according to the organization. In Arizona, Banner Hospital introduced baby drawers, which are a similar device.
Baby boxes are devices typically installed at fire stations and hospitals that parents can use to surrender their babies. These boxes are accessible from the outside of buildings and are equipped with silent alarms that will alert personnel after a box is opened.
The boxes automatically lock once a baby is placed inside and the door is closed, according to Safe Haven Baby Boxes. The boxes also have cooling and heating features to keep the child safe until personnel arrives, which is usually in less than 2 minutes.
Contributing: Rasha Ali, USA TODAY; The Associated Press
veryGood! (83)
Related
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- What restaurants are open on Labor Day? Hours and details for McDonald's, Chick-fil-A, more
- 3 dead after plane crashes into townhomes near Portland, Oregon: Reports
- Fall in love with John Hardy's fall jewelry collection
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Brad Pitt and Girlfriend Ines de Ramon Arrive in Style for Venice International Film Festival
- Caitlin Clark is now clear ROY favorite over Angel Reese. Why? She's helping Fever win.
- Are grocery stores open Labor Day 2024? Hours and details for Costco, Kroger, Publix, Aldi, more
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Can the ‘Magic’ and ‘Angels’ that Make Long Trails Mystical for Hikers Also Conjure Solutions to Environmental Challenges?
Ranking
- McConnell absent from Senate on Thursday as he recovers from fall in Capitol
- Scottie Scheffler caps off record season with FedEx Cup title and $25 million bonus
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Last Try
- US wheelchair rugby team gets redemption, earns spot in gold-medal game
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Federal workers around nation’s capital worry over Trump’s plans to send some of them elsewhere
- Hoping to return to national elite, USC defense, Miller Moss face first test against LSU
- Storm sets off floods and landslides in Philippines, leaving at least 9 dead
Recommendation
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
WWE Bash in Berlin 2024 live results: Winners, highlights of matches from Germany
How Brooke Shields, Gwyneth Paltrow and More Stars Are Handling Dropping Their Kids Off at College
American men making impact at US Open after Frances Tiafoe, Taylor Fritz advance
Tom Holland's New Venture Revealed
Moms for Liberty fully embraces Trump and widens role in national politics as election nears
Hoping to return to national elite, USC defense, Miller Moss face first test against LSU
‘We all failed you.’ Heartbreak at funeral for Israeli-American hostage in Jerusalem