Authorities in Orlando found a newborn child strapped into the seat of a hot car in a driveway. A search is now underway to track down the parents.
According to a report by WFTV, police say the baby is a week old. They discovered the infant in the vehicle on July 28. Multiple outlets report that the car was abandoned outside a stranger’s house in the 5500 block of Lido Street.
The baby is reportedly in good health, and the police freed the child from the car in the morning. It was cooler at that time of day, at around 79 degrees (26C). The outlet explains that many details remain unclear, and authorities are unsure how long the child was waiting inside the car.
A report by WESH reveals that emergency services took the child to the hospital after the incident. A resident told the outlet that their roommate had discovered the child in the driveway while taking out the trash. They also claimed that a witness “saw everything,” including a woman running from the vehicle. WESH stresses that the information has not been confirmed.
Authorities Found The Newborn Abandoned On The Hottest Day Of The Year
According to a report by ClickOrlando, police are asking residents to come forward with any information regarding the incident or the parents’ identities. One resident, Nolan Clark, noted the temperature that day, saying, “This is the hottest day of the year. It’s insane. I mean, from what we know, might have been during the night. So hopefully the mom and the baby are OK.”
The Orlando Police Department told the outlet in a statement that the Safe Haven law exists. It’s a legal and anonymous option for surrendering a newborn. “Parents can safely leave an infant with someone at designated locations, such as a hospital, a staffed fire rescue station, or a staffed emergency medical service station, with no questions asked, anonymously, and without fear of prosecution,” the statement reportedly says.
Earlier this month, a concerned bystander called the Lake City Police Department after they spotted a child in a car outside a cinema. The mother allegedly left the child there after they kept disrupting a movie showing. When police broke into the vehicle, they recorded the temperature at a sweltering 107 degrees (41C). Officers arrested the mother soon after.