Officials in Florida are examining a newborn infant that was discovered covered in a blanket on a hill in the town of Mulberry, some 30 miles west of Tampa, early Saturday morning. Polk County Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted the newborn girl just before 2 a.m. after somebody reported hearing an infant crying outdoors.
Based on a press release, deputies responded to the area and discovered the infant on a tiny hill near the Regal Loop Mobile Home Park off Bailey Road. Officials said that she was still linked to the placenta.
According to the sheriff’s office, first responders believed that the infant was delivered about an hour before she was discovered. Officers also observed that the air temperature was in the lower 50s Saturday night.
According to the news agency, the infant was rushed to a hospital and appeared to be healthy and in a stable state. Officials have not revealed any more information on the child since she was discovered.
Grady Judd, the sheriff of Polk County, delivered a statement on the infant girl, saying that it was by the grace of God that they discovered the abandoned baby girl when they did before exposure to the cold or any animals caused her any damage. She was left in an incredibly vulnerable state, but she’s a tough young girl, and she seems to be doing okay.
According to reports, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office is looking for the infant’s mom. The hunt for the lady included the employment of a K-9 unit, a drone, a bloodhound, and an aircraft unit. Officers also went door-to-door in the hopes of finding her, yet their efforts have so far been fruitless.
The sheriff’s office urged moms to take advantage of the Florida Safe Haven Law, enacted in 2000, which allows parents to anonymously leave their unharmed newborn child under a week old at any Safe Haven facility hospital or properly staffed EMS/Fire Station without risk of arrest.
A new baby was safely left in a Safe Haven Baby Box at a fire station in Ocala, Florida, earlier this month. It was the first usage of the box since it was installed in 2020.
