River Rouge police still searching for abandoned newborn's mother
RIVER ROUGE, Mich. (WJBK) - Two days after a newborn was found abandoned in River Rouge, police are still searching for the baby girl's mother.
Police say there are few leads as to the identity of the mother who left the baby in front of an adult care home early Sunday morning.
"To me, either she has to be an addict or there's something going on in her life that she can't handle a baby. I don't really know what was going through her mind," said Vanessa, a worker at the adult care facility.
River Rouge police are reviewing closely a video taken by David and Jennifer Robinson, who live two doors from where the baby was abandoned.
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"We have video footage from that area but nothing has panned out," said Det. Sgt. Dasumo Mitchell.
In the video, a woman is seen leaving the adult care home at 7:48 a.m. Sunday. She stops twice, looks back and could be wearing a hoodie and baggy pants, possibly to conceal a recent pregnancy.
"They probably figured the baby would be taken care of here," Vanessa said.
At 8:06 a.m., an adult care worker can be seen picking up the baby. By 8:12 a.m. police arrive, and three minutes later, the ambulance on the scene.
In Michigan it is legal to abandon your baby. You can't do here, but you can take the baby to a police station fire station or hospital.
"She had options. She could've went half a mile south or north to the City of River Rouge or Ecorse to drop the baby off at the police or fire department," Mitchell said.
And you must properly drop off the child within 72 hours of birth.
Police say there have been a lot of people who have expressed interest in adopting the baby.
If no one claims the child, she'll be turned over to appropriate authorities.
She is doing well at a local hospital.
Anyone with information is asked to call River Rouge Police.