Police said they are talking to a person of interest in a stunning case that has left them looking for answers. They want to find out who abandoned a baby girl, just days old, in the hallway of a Yonkers apartment building, with only a towel wrapped around her. NBC New York’s Lynda Baquero reports.
What to Know
- A 21-year-old new mother was arrested after abandoning her newborn baby in a Yonkers hallway just hours after giving birth, police said
- Police responded to a multi-family home on Chestnut Street late Tuesday afternoon for a report about a baby left unattended and found the newborn girl in the hallway
- Yonkers Police Dept. Chief Joseph Monaco said one of the home's tenants called police and handed the baby, who was wrapped in a towel and still had her umbilical cord attached, over to police.
A 21-year-old new mother was arrested after abandoning her newborn baby in a Yonkers hallway just hours after giving birth, police said.
The mom, identified as Jaqueline Marleni Perez, was charged with one count of child abandonment after the baby girl was discovered by neighbors on the first floor of the multi-family home on Chestnut Street Tuesday evening, according to Yonkers police.
Detectives believe that Perez had given birth around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. She then dressed the baby in a T-shirt, wrapped her in a blanket and left her on the floor near the entryway to the house around 7:30 p.m. About an hour later, a resident of the building found the newborn, wrapped her in another blanket and called police.
First responders took the baby girl, her umbilical cord still attached with a black string wrapped around it, and rushed her to the hospital, police said. She was evaluated and is expected to be OK. The girl remains in custody of Child Protective Services.
Perez was taken to the hospital as well, police said, due to the unusual circumstances of the childbirth. She was later released.
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"The circumstances that occurred are heartbreaking and unfortunate, but we are thankful the baby is stable and safe," said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano. "I commend the compassionate and swift actions of our Yonkers PD in finding the mother, exhibiting concern for her welfare after going through a traumatic and desperate ordeal. This is a poignant reminder that help, regardless of situation, is available to all of us – don’t be afraid to reach out.”
News
Perez was arraigned at Yonkers Criminal Court Thursday and released, as the charge is not eligible for bail. Attorney information for her was not immediately clear, nor was when she is next scheduled to appear in court.
The Westchester County Prosecutor's Office is handling the investigation. No further information has been released.
