HOUSTON, Texas — A newborn baby is being treated at a Houston hospital after being abandoned in a parking lot near Hobby Airport Tuesday night.
Witnesses said a woman took off her pants in the parking lot near Winkler Drive and the Gulf Freeway and gave birth in plain sight around 8:30 p.m. She left the baby next to a clothing donation box and walked away.
Someone flagged down a Houston police officer who found a 28-year-old woman, believed to be the baby's mother, about a block away.
Yaned Interiano works at a nearby pupuseria and was shocked by what she saw.
"I don't know why she ended up doing that," Interiano told us. "She had the baby and walked away. What she did is not motherly."
The baby and the unidentified woman were taken to the hospital.
"Thank God people were there to help the baby," Interiano said.
Advocates with the National Safe Haven Alliance want to remind parents about the Baby Moses law that allows them to drop off their baby with employees at a designated "safe place." They include hospitals or fire stations like the one not far from Wednesday night's scene.
"They have 60 days to make that life-altering decision and to surrender their infant without fear of criminal prosecution, as long as the infant is unharmed," said Leah Kipley with the National Safe Haven Alliance.
We don't know the details of this mother's mental state or her circumstances. But clearly, things could have ended much worse for the child who entered this world so dramatically.
"We're so grateful that someone was there in that moment to provide that care," Kipley said.
Police said the Department of Family and Protective Services was contacted about this case.
Update on baby abandoned near Bear Creek
Earlier this month, a newborn baby girl was found abandoned in northwest Harris County.
The infant was wrapped in a towel with her umbilical cord still attached when she was found on Saturday, June 15 on Casa Martin Drive near Bear Creek.
She was taken to hospital and released on June 21.
The baby is now with foster parents who will provide a "safe and loving home for her," according to the Texas Department of Family Protective Services.
More on Safe Haven or Baby Moses law in Texas
If you're thinking about bringing your baby to a designated Safe Haven, here's what you need to know.
- Your baby must be 60 days old or younger and unharmed and safe.
- You may take your baby to any hospital, fire station, or emergency medical services (EMS) station in Texas.
- You need to give your baby to an employee who works at one of these safe places and tell this person that you want to leave your baby at a Safe Haven.
- You may be asked by an employee for family or medical history to make sure that your baby receives the care they need.
- If you leave your baby at a fire or EMS station, your baby may be taken to a hospital to receive any medical attention they need. Remember, If you leave your unharmed infant at a Safe Haven, you will not be prosecuted for abandonment or neglect.