A California newspaper carrier out delivering early morning papers on Monday made a shocking discovery when he found a newborn baby girl lying in the middle of a dark road.
Aurelio Fuentes Jr., a newspaper carrier with the Fresno Bee, said it was an “awful, chilling, moment” when he spotted a baby off of the 35000 block of Avenue 13 ½ in Madera Ranchos. It was dark and cold outside, with temperatures reaching near freezing.
Fuentes called authorities immediately. While waiting, a Good Samaritan drove by and asked Fuentes to hold the baby inside her vehicle, where she had her heater blasting. A few minutes after, first responders arrived.
The baby girl was abandoned steps away from a Madera Ranchos Church. The pastor of the church says the speed limit here is 45 miles an hour and it’s a miracle the newborn was found and survived. pic.twitter.com/v93eMxgJry
— Sontaya Rose (@SontayaRose) February 11, 2019
The Madera County Sheriff’s Office said the baby was taken to the hospital at 4:30 a.m. She was freezing, but thankfully alive.
ABC 7 reports that prior to Fuentes arriving, a man walking down Avenue 13 1/2 was stopped by a Hispanic woman driving a small, white SUV, who reportedly asked him to take her baby. The man said he refused but suggested she drop the baby off at a fire station or a local children’s hospital. The man walked away afterward.
The woman was possibly in her 20s but the sheriff’s department said her physical description is unknown.
The California Safe Surrendered Baby law states newborns can be handed over to “safe surrender sites” for up to 72 hours after birth. Safe surrender sites include hospitals and fire stations with the safety surrender logos on the front of the building. Parents have two weeks to change their mind and regain custody of the infant.
Fuentes said he was driving slowly down the street that morning, luckily, and had time to stop before he ran the baby over.
“If there was another vehicle, that baby would have been badly hurt (or killed),” the newspaper carrier said.
•• Seeking Suspect ID for Found Abandoned Infant in Madera •• On February 11, 2019, just before 4:30am, Madera County…
Posted by Madera County Sheriff's Office on Monday, February 11, 2019
Hospital staff guessed the newborn to less than 10 hours old. She’s currently being treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Valley Children’s Hospital, located near the incident scene. According to LA County 211, the hospital is a safe surrender site.
Authorities are investigating the incident and hoping to find the woman in the white SUV. Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Madera County Sheriff’s Department at 559-675-7770.
[Feature Photo: Pixabay]
