The 32-year-old ShopRite employee allegedly gave birth Saturday night and left the newborn in an employee restroom
Credit: News 12/YouTube
NEED TO KNOW
- A 32-year-old ShopRite employee is in custody after her newborn was found in a restroom at the White Plains, N.Y., supermarket
- The newborn was discovered Sunday morning and transported to White Plains Hospital in stable condition
- Police said they are working with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office regarding potential criminal charges
A New York supermarket employee is in custody after allegedly giving birth and leaving the newborn in a workers’ restroom, where he was discovered the following day.
The infant was found Sunday morning, Aug. 30, in the restroom at the ShopRite inside the City Center shopping complex in White Plains, according to a local Department of Public Safety press release.
First responders provided the baby with immediate medical attention before transporting him to White Plains Hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition, per the release.
The baby’s mother is a 32-year-old White Plains resident who works at the store, according to ABC7, NBC New York and News 12 Westchester. She was subsequently taken into custody.
White Plains police told ABC7 that the woman gave birth around 11 p.m. Saturday and left the newborn in the bathroom, where he remained for about seven hours before another employee discovered him and called 911.
The mother was receiving medical care following the birth and was also in stable condition, police said.
“The mother is currently in custody receiving treatment for this recent birth,” White Plains Police Sgt. Claudio Benavides told the outlet. “The child is being taken care of by Child Protective Services and we are talking to the DA about charges.”
In a later update, White Plains police confirmed that a suspect had been identified and taken into custody. The department did not identify the suspect in its release. Police also confirmed that the baby remained hospitalized in stable condition and that Westchester County Child Protective Services was assisting with the child’s future care.
Police said multiple crime scenes had been processed or were nearing completion, adding that investigators were conducting witness and informational interviews.
The department, which initially began investigating the incident as potential child abandonment, said it was working with the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office regarding potential criminal charges.
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A ShopRite spokesperson told ABC7 that store employees immediately called 911 after finding the newborn and cared for him until emergency responders arrived.
“We can confirm that a newborn infant was discovered in the restroom by store associates, who immediately called 911 and cared for the baby until emergency responders arrived and transported the infant to a local hospital,” the spokesperson said.
Following the discovery, White Plains officials highlighted New York’s Safe Haven law, which 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.
“In New York State we have the Safe Haven law which states that you can leave a child who is younger than 30 days old with a fire department or a police station or a nurse at the hospital to be taken care of,” White Plains Public Safety Commissioner Wade Hardy told ABC7.
The Department of Public Safety said a person can surrender an infant under the law anonymously if requested.
Police also cautioned that a photograph circulating on social media was not of the newborn involved in the case. Anyone with information is asked to contact the White Plains Police Department at 914-422-6111.
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