3 Babies Abandoned In One Week, 2 Die: NJ Takes Action

Three infants have been abandoned this past week in New Jersey, and two of them have died. One of them was found in a suitcase. Another was found in a duffle bag.

Now state officials are taking action.

New Jersey Department of Children and Families Commissioner Designate Christine Norbut Beyer is urging parents considering abandonment to find a safe haven for their children as an alternative to abandoning their babies.

Here are the three instances Beyer is referring to:

• The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office is currently investigating a dead infant found in a suitcase near the PATH tracks last week in Jersey City. The body was found early afternoon just off the train tracks underneath The Tonnelle Avenue Bridge in Jersey City, the prosecutor's office said.
• The Middlesex County prosecutor announced Monday night they found the teen mother of the newborn baby boy found abandoned Monday afternoon in Highland Park. The newborn baby boy has died, and the mother, 14, was charged with a juvenile offense that, had she been above 18, would have been a first-degree murder charge, Middlesex County prosecutor Andrew Carey said.
• Police are asking for the public's help after a newborn baby was reportedly found in a duffle bag that was left on the home of a porch in Trenton. The baby was no more than two days old when it was found on Sunday, although it is unknown how long the baby was on the porch, according to News 12. The baby was taken to the hospital for treatment, and is in good health. Read more here...

Beyer pointed to the state's Safe Haven program, which was designed specifically to avoid the sort of tragedy "that we’ve seen happen not once, but three times in the last several days."

“Safe Haven exists as a blame-free alternative to abandonment, where you can safely, legally and anonymously surrender an unwanted child," she said. "To anyone who’s ever felt that they weren’t ready to take on the responsibility of parenthood, please explore all of your options before putting your babies’ lives in danger.”

The investigation into a baby's body found near the PATH tracks in Jersey City, meanwhile, is ongoing, the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office told Patch. The HCPO is seeking the public's help in identifying the baby. "The investigation is ongoing and pending the medical examiner's report," Raymond Worrall with the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office told Patch. Read more...

The baby was found Wednesday, April 11, shortly after 12:30 p.m., when the Port Authority Police Department received a report of suspected human remains being recovered near the train tracks underneath the Tonnelle Avenue Bridge, just off Broadway in Jersey City, according to the HCPO.

The suspected human remains were found in a suitcase by a Port Authority employee during a routine inspection. Responding Port Authority police officers confirmed the finding, established a crime scene and contacted the Hudson County Prosecutor's Homicide Unit.

Responding Emergency Medical Services confirmed that the remains appeared to be human, according to the HCPO.

In Middlesex County, An autopsy by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner will be scheduled. Based on a preliminary investigation by the Highland Park Police Department and the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, it has been determined that the 14-year old mother caused the death of her newborn baby boy, Carey said.

The teenager, whose identity is being withheld because of her age, is being held at the Middlesex County Juvenile Detention Center pending her initial court appearance at Middlesex County Family Court.
The teenager was charged in a juvenile complaint with murder in the first degree. Read more here...

Noting the tragedies that happened this past week, Beyer noted that the New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act established a program through which new parents – or someone acting on behalf of a new parent – may anonymously and safely surrender an unwanted child within 30 days of the child’s birth.

The parents may surrender the baby at any hospital emergency room, police station, firehouse, ambulance or first aid and rescue squad that’s operated 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week. As long as the child has not been abused, the individual surrendering the child would not face arrest or prosecution.

“I can think of no greater tragedy than the loss of a young life that could have been prevented through the use of the Safe Haven program,” said Beyer. “I strongly urge all New Jerseyans – if you have a friend or loved one who may not be ready to be a mother or father, point them in the direction of Safe Haven and help save a life.”

To find out more information about New Jersey’s Safe Haven program, visit http://njsafehaven.org, or call 1-877-839-2339.

With reporting by Carly Baldwin, Katie Kausch and Anthony Bellano

YouTube photo/video