ShopRite employee, 32, abandons newborn in employee restroom at White Plains, N.Y outlet as authorities consider potential child abandonment charges. Mother’s identity witheld pending further investigations. Baby boy was found 7 hours after birth by co-worker and was listed as stable.
A 32-year-old ShopRite employee has been accused of giving birth inside a worker’s bathroom and abandoning the newborn at a White Plains, New York outlet.
White Plains police were called to the ShopRite at the City Center shopping complex on Sunday after receiving a report that an infant had been left inside the store.
The newborn was taken to White Plains Hospital where the baby was later listed in stable condition.
Baby boy found abandoned in ShopRite worker restroom 7 hours after birth
‘The circumstances surrounding the event are heart-wrenching, and our thoughts remain with the infant during their recovery,’ the White Plains Department of Public Safety stated in a release. ‘Upon arrival, first responders acted swiftly to secure the scene and ensure the infant received immediate, life-saving medical attention.’
Following a search, police announced a suspect, a ShopRite employee was identified as the newborn’s mother and taken into custody. Authorities declined to publicly identify the 32-year-old woman only to say she worked at the store and was a White Plains, NY resident, News12 reported.
White Plains police told ABC7 that the woman gave birth around 11 p.m. Saturday and left the newborn in the bathroom, where the child, a baby boy, remained for about seven hours before another employee discovered him and called 911.
Westchester County, NY prosecutors considering charges against newborn mother
The mother was receiving medical care following the birth and was also in stable condition, police said.
Police said they are working with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office to determine what criminal charges may be filed.
Westchester County Child Protective Services is now assisting with the infant’s care.
N.Y Safe Haven law
New York does have a Safe Haven law that allows a person to leave an infant no more than 30 days old in a safe location without facing criminal liability for abandonment if certain requirements are met.
Those requirements include leaving the baby with the intent that the child remain safe from physical injury and receive proper care and promptly notifying an appropriate person of the infant’s location, according to the Department of Public Safety.
Not immediately clear is why the newborn’s mother declined to reach out for help, or notify anyone of the child’s birth or simply give away her child. Also not known is the identity of the child’s father.
Authorities continue to investigate.
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