Mother of Abandoned Newborn Steps Forward: Police

The Beltsville woman who called 911 to report finding an abandoned newborn has admitted to Prince George’s County Police that she left the baby girl outdoors.

Authorities said the admission came during a follow-up interview Thursday. The woman said she had given birth inside her Beltsville home Wednesday morning and told detectives she became overwhelmed.

Do Maryland women know about the state’s safe haven law? Do teens need to be educated about the law? Tell us in comments below.

The mother is receiving medical treatment.

Police says the baby girl was never left alone outside. Child Protective Services will continue to oversee custody of the infant.

Criminal charges will not be filed in this case at this time, police say.

Patch earlier reported that patrol officers were called to the 12600 block of Shoal Creek Terrace about 11:45 a.m. The caller said she heard the infant crying, found her outside and called 911.

Authorities say the child is in good health. Doctors believe the baby was likely born just hours before police were called.

Police say Maryland’s Safe Haven Law allows for birth mothers or a responsible adult to relinquish custody of an infant to authorities a facilities which include police departments, hospitals and state police barracks. This can be done within 10 days of the birth. Under these circumstances, the person surrendering custody is protected from civil liability or criminal prosecution.

“We thank our community for helping share the baby’s picture and her story,” police said.

Residents debated the baby’s abandonment – did the mother have resources in place to help her cope or make the wrong decision – on social media.

Here’s a sampling of comments from the Prince George’s County Police Department Facebook page:

Ruth Kelleher wrote: “I do not judge this mother for leaving her baby. It must have been a scary, hard, terrible decision for her to do. Without the support of your friends or family, and not having a job ,a house etc the stress must have gotten to her that she felt no option but to do this. … Do not judge this person on her actions as we do not know her side of the story.”

In reply, Shannon Mertz Dimitri posted: “Yes I am absolutely judging. There were plenty of places that she could’ve safely dropped this baby off to. … There is no excuse for what she did and she should be mortally ashamed of herself.”

And Tangi Allen wrote: “Praying that God blesses her with a beautiful life and a family who will love her unconditionally. Clearly her mother wasn’t able to provide or care for her.”