New York Woman Charged for Abandoning Newborn at Subway

Authorities in New York City have charged a woman after she reportedly left her newborn baby at a subway station. Assa Diawara, a 30-year-old from Queens, was captured on surveillance footage before abandoning her baby girl, who was later discovered safe in Penn Station on Monday morning.

Diawara was arrested early Wednesday, facing charges of child abandonment and endangerment, as noted in a statement from the New York City Police Department. Police had previously sought public assistance to identify the individual seen on camera carrying the infant.

The baby was found around 9:30 a.m. at the southbound platform for the 1, 2, and 3 trains at Penn Station. An anonymous tip led authorities to the scene, where the baby was left on the stairs at the intersection of West 34th Street and Seventh Avenue.

Upon arrival, responders discovered the baby, still wrapped in a blanket. She was alert and taken to Bellevue Hospital for care. Remarkably, the baby’s umbilical cord was still attached.

The identity of the baby’s parents has not yet been revealed. Under New York State’s Safeguarding Act, parents are permitted to legally surrender their newborns at hospitals, police stations, or fire stations without the threat of legal repercussions, provided the child is handed over to a responsible adult.