A newborn baby, in a critically emaciated state, was found alone at home for several days after the death of their mother in Arizona. Police officers were alerted by neighbors who hadn’t seen the mother for some time.
When officers arrived at the south Phoenix residence last month, they knocked and called out, trying to get a response. After no one answered, they forced their way inside.
The bodycam footage captured the officers discovering a small baby swaddled in blankets on a bed, where they later found the mother’s body. The officers placed the infant in a stroller before emergency medical technicians arrived to provide immediate care.
According to the police, they found the mother deceased and the baby alive, but severely dehydrated and struggling to survive. The infant was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but thankfully, reports indicate a significant improvement in their health.
The specifics concerning the child’s name or gender weren’t disclosed, and details about the mother’s identity or cause of death remain unclear. Authorities described the infant as “visibly emaciated.”
Cops later reported having seen a motionless woman through an open window before entering the home.
“The mother had passed away while the child was still on the bed, curled up where the mother had left them,” said Phoenix Police spokesperson Sgt. Brian Bower.
Bower noted that doctors at the hospital revealed the baby’s survival hinged on the prompt intervention of the officers who entered the apartment. He credited both the quick actions of the police and the vigilance of neighbors who reported the unusual situation.
The baby is currently in the care of the Department of Child Safety, and an investigation into the mother’s death is ongoing.
