An abandoned baby was found Sunday morning in a dumpster near an apartment in Greenville, North Carolina, police said.
Greenville Police were dispatched to 1574 Bridle Circle around 10:20 a.m. after receiving a report of a 1-2-day-old baby found in a WITN dumpster. report.
Resident Jalen Parker told the outlet that his sister found the baby in a trash can and brought it into the house before police arrived. The report said her baby's body temperature was in the low 40s when she found him.
Greenville police are investigating after a newborn baby was found in a trash can Sunday morning.https://t.co/XP2oSUFlKI pic.twitter.com/yyEBKXuZxz
— WAVY TV 10 (@WAVY_News) January 14, 2024
“I woke up. My sister brought the baby home,” Parker said. “I was shocked. And then I found out what happened.”
Officers said the infant was found alive and Greenville Fire Rescue transported the infant to the ECU health room for evaluation.
This situation can be avoided through state safe haven laws. North Carolina's safe surrender law allows parents to release their newborn infant up to 30 days of age to a designated safe person. according to To the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
People who are safe under the law include:
- Health care providers who work in hospitals, local health departments, and nonprofit community health centers.
- First responders such as law enforcement officers, certified emergency medical services personnel, and firefighters.
- A social worker who is employed or works for a local social services department.
The baby was released to Kentucky firefighters and found a loving home with his adoptive parents. (Brittany Tyler Facebook)
Detectives are investigating the incident. Anyone with information is asked to call the Greenville Police Department at (252) 329-4315 or Crime Stoppers at (252) 758-7777.
