Seattle
  • Current Conditions
    51°
    Mostly Cloudy
  • 7:00pm
    47°
  • 10:00pm
    45°
Full Forecast »
Severe Weather Alert
Affected Counties
E-Mail News Alerts
Get breaking news and daily headlines.
Browse all e-mail newsletters
Related To Story
ABANDONED NEWBORN


Embeddable News Widgets

Local news, local sports or weird news. Put KIRO's headlines on your Web site with a simple copy and paste. More Details

17-Year-Old Faces Child Abandonment Charge

POSTED: 7:40 am PDT July 17, 2006
UPDATED: 5:52 pm PDT July 17, 2006

A 17-year-old girl from Mexico faces a charge of child abandonment after a newborn baby boy was found in a black plastic garbage bag beside a Marysville retention pond, apparently after being tossed over a fence.

The girl is being held in the Denny Juvenile Justice Center in Everett on $50,000 bail.

Authorities said she was staying with a sister who lives near the retention pond where the baby was found Saturday night by a neighbor.

The baby boy appeared to be just hours old with an umbilical cord still attached and blood on his body. He is recovering at an Everett hospital, officials said.

According to authorities, a woman heard the child's cries through an open window on Saturday shortly before 11 p.m. She and several neighbors searched the area.

A man eventually found the child wrapped in a garbage bag behind a locked fence surrounding a retaining pond.

"The bag was around its head. The only thing sticking out when I got there was its hand. Its little arm just waving, like 'come get me' type thing, you know," said Mike Wentland, the man who discovered the infant.

Police said the baby was taken to Providence Everett Medical Center. Hospital officials declined to release any information about the infant, citing privacy laws.

Neighbors said police had traced the baby to a home in the neighborhood and searched it Sunday.

Belinda Wright, the woman who heard the child's cries, is nine months' pregnant and due in two weeks. She said she couldn't believe what she and her neighbors found.

"It was a baby boy, a full term baby boy, beautiful little baby boy. It had a set of lungs like you wouldn't believe," said Wright.

In Washington state, within 72 hours of birth, newborns can be left at any hospital emergency room or a fire station where someone is on duty.

As long as the baby isn't harmed, mothers can remain anonymous and won't face any criminal charges.

The hot line number for mothers in crisis is 1-877-440-2229.

News Images & Video

kirotv.com Video

An employee of a Tracy, Calif., gym shares his experience after a nearly naked teenage boy shows at his work with a shackle padlocked around his ankle. More Details


Police Release 'Toys R Us' Shooting 911 Call
CNN Image
Police in Palm Desert, Calif., release the 911 call from a double-shooting Friday in a local "Toys R' Us" store. More Details



Shop At The Online Mall

Sponsor Links

Links We Like
Sponsored Content
If you’re worried about STD’s it’s important that you know the telltale signs. Check out the 8 signs that you may have an STD. More Details

If you have aspirations of becoming a millionaire, check out these five habits that may be worth emulating. More Details

Learn about 7 of the most common skin rashes and everything you need to know to avoid getting them and treating them if you already do. More Details

The signs of Cancer can sometimes be very subtle. Here's a guide to help you recognize them early. More Details

Don’t be left out. Make the switch to Digital TV.

Cheerleaders Of The NFL

Check out slideshows from the NFL cheerleading squads! More Details


Credit Center

Checking Your Credit Report Does Not Affect Your Credit Score. See Your Score & Report Today for $0. More
Experian

Back To Top