Newborn baby found in wooded area in Silver Spring
(Montgomery County Police Department)
SILVER SPRING. Md. (FOX 5 DC) - A newborn baby was found in a wooded area in Silver Spring Friday evening, police say.
According to detectives with the Montgomery County Police Department, a man called police after he heard a baby crying on the sidewalk in the 10000 block of Tenbrook Drive at around 5 p.m.
When the man went to investigate, he found the naked baby around 10 feet from the sidewalk in the woods.
Police say the baby girl was transported to a local hospital where she is currently in stable condition.
Authorities believe the baby is possibly of Hispanic descent and was born a few hours before she was found, according to the hospital.
If you have information on this incident, contact police at 240-773-5400 (press option 3).
The Police Department would like to remind residents of Maryland’s Safe Haven law:
“In Maryland, no one ever has to abandon a newborn baby. Under the Safe Haven law, a distressed parent who is unable or unwilling to care for their infant can safely give up custody of their baby, no questions asked. Newborns can be left at hospitals or law enforcement stations, some of which are listed below. A parent (or another adult with the approval of the mother) has up to 10 days from the birth to invoke Safe Haven anonymously and safely leave a baby with a responsible adult at a designated location. A person who invokes Safe Haven is immune from civil liability or criminal prosecution provided the child is unharmed. If you have questions about Maryland’s Safe Haven law, call the Department of Human Resources at 800-332-6347 or your local department of social services.”