Texan authorities are searching for answers after making a heartbreaking discovery of a newborn who appeared to be abandoned in an apartment complex dumpster on Sept. 21.
Arlington Police Department is investigating why an African American baby was left unattended in the garbage storage area at Monterra Pointe, 4 miles southeast of downtown Arlington.
Officers arrived at the scene just before 8:15 a.m. after a resident found the baby while taking out the trash and could hear a woman crying nearby. They believe the child was born only a few hours earlier and would not be older than a few days old.
Fox4 reported paramedics administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the infant who was revived and quickly transported to the nearby Medical City Arlington for more comprehensive medical treatment. The child is in a stable condition and expected to make a full recovery.
“The baby is at hospital being cared for at this time,” Johnson said.
Officers are still trying to determine what circumstances led to the baby being left in the dumpster and hope its family members will come forward.
“This is an active investigation,” the department said on Twitter. “Anyone with tips or information is asked to contact 911. Tipsters can also remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers 817-469-TIPS (8477.)”
For now, officers are checking surveillance footage from a nearby school to try to find images that can be used for facial recognition, especially of the child’s mother.
In the worst-case scenario, the mother or a responsible guardian could be charged with a felony since the dumpster lid was closed and the weather was hot.
“There’s no telling if she wasn’t taking trash out at that moment in time this morning, we could be talking about a totally different scenario right now,” Cook told Fox4. “We want the mother to come forward, at least provide information so we can get her information to the hospital.”
