A Louisiana sheriff said a 1-year-old “miracle baby” was found crawling along the side of a highway after surviving two days outside during intermittent storms.
According to the Associated Press, a truck driver found the baby on the side of the road, the day after the baby’s “4-year-old brother was found dead and his mother was arrested.” report.
“Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Gary”Dr. Stitch Guillory said the baby had numerous insect bites but was otherwise in good condition, according to the report.
At a press conference Tuesday, Guillory said autopsy reports are pending on the 4-year-old, whose body was reportedly found in a lake behind a welcome center on Interstate 10 near Texas.
Investigators say the 4-year-old and 1-year-old were last seen Saturday with their mother, Aaliyah Jack, 25, of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
By the time authorities found the 4-year-old, they feared the 1-year-old was also dead and were preparing to search the water for the baby when a truck driver called 911 reporting a baby on the side of the road.
“We consider this 1-year-old a miracle baby because he’s still alive,” Guillory said.
The search for the boy took place as Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas early Monday morning, bringing heavy rain and strong winds, according to reports.
“This boy spent two days on the side of the highway in bad weather,” Guillory said. “Thank goodness the truck driver noticed him.”
According to reports, Jack was arrested sometime Tuesday in Meridian, Mississippi, more than 350 miles from where her children were found.
“The Meridian Police Department located and detained a mother without her 1-year-old child in Mississippi,” the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office said in a statement. The baby was later found after a truck driver reported seeing the child in a ditch along Interstate 10.
“Upon arrival, officers were able to positively identify the child as the missing 1-year-old,” a CSO news release said.
Jack is expected to be extradited to Louisiana, where she is reportedly charged with failure to report a missing child. As of Wednesday afternoon, no other charges had been filed, but the investigation is ongoing, CSO spokeswoman Kayla Vincent said.
Jack’s bail was set at $300,000.
