Crime & Safety

Front Seat Baby: Newark Cops Find Pregnant Woman In Labor

To Newark police officers Angel Gonzalez and Ronald Pohill, the wail of an infant meant one thing… success.

NEWARK, NJ — To Newark police officers Angel Gonzalez and Ronald Pohill, the wail of an infant meant one thing… success.

The two officers – members of the city’s Special Operations Division – helped to deliver a baby boy while on assignment at Commerce and Mulberry streets last week, authorities said.

According to the Newark Department of Public Safety, the birth took place around 10:30 a.m. on Oct. 6, when the pair of officers arrived to find a 29-year-old pregnant woman sitting in the front seat of a vehicle with the baby’s head crowning.

Find out what's happening in Newarkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The officers immediately assisted with the delivery by laying down sterile sheets and instructing the mother on when to push, until the infant - a boy - was successfully delivered in one fluid motion, authorities said.

The officers, who are trained in emergency services, then suctioned fluids from the baby’s nose and mouth to facilitate his breathing until EMS arrived and transported the mother and newborn to Clara Maass Medical Center, authorities said.

Find out what's happening in Newarkfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose commended Pohill and Gonzalez.

“Oftentimes, police work is all about being in the right place at the right time,” Ambrose said. “These officers immediately sprang into action and assisted with the safe delivery of a newborn, all from a vehicle parked in the heart of downtown Newark.”

Photo: Newark Department of Public Safety

Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.