Police search for mother who abandoned newborn baby in River Rouge

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A newborn baby was left alone on a front lawn for about 20 minutes before a woman heard what she thought was a cat crying, and went to check it out.

"I kept hearing something and something told me to just walk all the way off the porch," she said. "I ran down there and got it and seen it was a baby."

This adult foster care home employee, who does not want to be identified, is seen in a photo holding a just-born baby girl, found at the foot of the steps of the facility wrapped in a blanket with nothing or no one else around.

"I just kept hoping, is the baby okay," she said.

The placenta and umbilical cord were still attached.

"I just called 911 and said there was a baby," she said. "I had blood on my hands and my shirt and it got on my pants, and that's when I saw the cord was still attached."

The baby, who was only moments old, is believed to have been left by her mother just before 8 a.m. Sunday at the home located on Alexander off Great Lakes Street. She was rushed to Beaumont hospital in Dearborn.

"The baby is doing well," said Det. Sgt. Dasumo Mitchell, River Rouge Police Department. "She's being fed, eating well, they've checked her for any complications, there doesn't appear to be any."

Child Protective Services has been notified while police continue to search for the parents.

"She will possibly be a ward of the state, possibly go through the adoption process for someone that's looking for a child," Mitchell said.

The worker who found her wonders what could've lead to the decision to give up this baby girl.

"I was just thinking, who did this," she said. "This is a baby. A newborn baby, (I was) just nervous. I've got kids of my own, so I was just nervous and scared for the baby."

The person who left the baby at this home may not have known about Michigan's Safe Haven Law. It allows you to drop off a baby to an employee at a hospital, fire station or police station within 72 hours, and no questions asked, you can walk away. This baby was found only about a mile away from the River Rouge Police Station.

One theory police have is the mother lives in the area, knew it was close and active at this time of the morning and someone would spot the baby early. Another is, she thought it was a foster care home for children, but really it's only for adults.