WESTLAKE, Ohio — The parents of a newborn baby are facing child endangerment charges after Westlake police say the mother was found unconscious while still attached to the infant's umbilical cord.
According to a release, members of the Westlake Police Department and Westlake Fire Department were dispatched to the WestSpring Inn on Sperry Road at approximately 5:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
Officers learned that a woman was walking her dog in the parking lot of the hotel when she noticed another woman lying in the grass unconscious.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Westlake police previously told 3News that the woman turned out to be a nurse who works in the NICU unit at MetroHealth. However, police have since said this was false.
"Most alarming was that this unconscious woman still had a newly born infant attached to her via the baby's umbilical cord. The baby was crying laying face down in the grass," Westlake police noted in the release.
The nurse walking the dog attempted several times to wake up the new mother before "she revived." Then, the nurse told police she asked the hotel staff to call 911, then cut the umbilical cord and cared for the baby until Westlake EMS arrived.
As EMS took care of the mother and baby, police began its investigation of the scene.
Officers say the mother of the baby is 42-year-old Chanel Catherine Mueller, a Cleveland resident who was staying at the hotel with 35-year-old John D. Bratsch from Westlake.
Bratsch, who was in the hotel room, identified himself to police as the father of the baby using the name "Brian Johnson."
"He admitted that he was a drug user and explained that the baby came very suddenly and was born in the hotel room," Westlake police added in the release. "He was cleaning up the room and could not explain why the mom walked out into the nearby lawn with the newborn."
According to Westlake police, when they entered the social security number for "Johnson," officers found found that Bratsch had a felony parole violation warrant from the Ohio Parole Authority. He also had warrants from the Westlake Police Department for previous drug possession and traffic charges. Bratsch was arrested and taken to the Westlake Jail, while Mueller and baby were transported to a nearby hospital.
Westlake police say EMS personnel could be determined if Mueller passed out due to blood loss from childbirth, drug use, or a combination of both.
It is unknown why Mueller left the room with her newborn still attached to her by umbilical cord.
"Both the mom and self-proclaimed dad were charged with child endangering," Westlake police stated.
Police add that Cuyahoga County Child and Family Services were contacted and responded to the hospital.
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