Jun 12, 2009 5:02 pm US/Central
Abandoned Baby Boy Found In Yard In Wheaton
Barking Dog Led Woman To Discover Baby
WHEATON, Ill. (CBS) ―
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A newborn baby boy was found abandoned in Wheaton between this garage and this tree.
CBS
A newborn baby boy was found abandoned in a suburban backyard on Friday morning. That little boy is now in a hospital in the western suburbs. CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports the baby was originally listed in critical condition, but his condition has since been upgraded to "stable and improving," and doctors say he's doing much better.
Now police, prosecutors and child welfare agencies are all investigating an act that authorities hoped would be unnecessary after passage of a state law eight years ago.
It was the persistent barking of her dog outside around 7:30 a.m. that led the owner of a Wheaton home to a disturbing discovery: an abandoned baby. He was found on the ground in a yard near a garage in the 800 block of East Michigan Street.
"The baby boy was naked, he was unclothed, and he still had a portion of the umbilical cord attached," said Wheaton Police Deputy Chief Thomas Meloni.
The child was breathing when he was found and Meloni initially said the baby was "alive and doing well'' after paramedics treated him.
The discovery deeply concerned neighbors.
"I'm in shock. Absolutely in shock," said neighbor Micheal Scalzo. "I mean, for Wheaton, I've never heard of anything like this happening in Wheaton. We get our typical burglaries, car break-ins, but nothing like this."
Police estimate the newborn baby boy had been left there, naked in the grass, for about two hours or so. And officers who took him to the hospital say he weighed about five pounds.
Wheaton Police went door-to-door, canvassing the area in search of the mother and they believe they found her, a 24-year-old woman.
"I'm sad, it's a sad thing," said neighbor Tess Halle. "I hope the baby finds a good home and I hope this mother gets some help somewhere, she's gonna need it. You don't do that if you're not desperate."
Both the baby and the woman believed to be the mother are being treated at Central DuPage Hospital.
The baby is said to be doing better now, but neighbors couldn't believe the mother didn't know far better options were available.
"There's so much more that you could have done in terms of not allowing this to end up where it is today," said neighbor Edward Przylucki.
"They could have taken it anywhere," said neighbor Molly Pawlak. "They could have dropped it at a hospital or somewhere else. Why by a dumpster? I don't understand that. It's not morally right."
Under Illinois' Safe Haven Law, any baby under seven days old can be dropped off at any hospital, police station or fire station with no questions asked and no penalties imposed.
Instead, the DuPage County state's attorney's office is investigating whether to bring criminal charges against the Wheaton baby's mother.
CBS 2's Derrick Blakley and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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