Newborn child found in a bag in Chesterfield yard
A newborn baby girl not more than 36 hours old was found crying in a Ukrop's shopping bag yesterday afternoon in a neighborhood near Courthouse and Reams roads in Chesterfield County.
The baby still had her umbilical cord attached and was wrapped in several small blankets and a woman's white skirt, Chesterfield police Sgt. John Street said.
The infant was discovered by several neighborhood mothers about 4 p.m. at a school bus stop in the 700 block of Vickilee Court after a dog sniffed the bag and the girl began to cry, Street said. One of the mothers took her inside until an emergency crew could arrive.
The same bag had been seen in the neighborhood about 6:45 a.m., but no one noticed or heard anything unusual then. The bag was in a yard near a mailbox in front of a home, Street said.
The infant, reported in good condition, was taken to CJW Medical Center (Chippenham). Street said the child was full term and was not more than 36 hours old.
Anyone with information about the baby or her mother can call Chesterfield police at 748-1251 or Crime Solvers at 748-0660.
The baby was the second newborn found abandoned in the Richmond area in the past two months. On Aug. 27, a woman out for an evening walk discovered a naked newborn boy on the front lawn of a house in eastern Henrico County. The identity of the baby and his parents remains a mystery.
A 2004 state law that gives troubled parents a safe haven for their children makes it unnecessary to abandon babies, authorities say.
The safe-haven law allows parents to take a child with the first 14 days of birth to a hospital that provides 24-hour emergency services or to a rescue squad that employs emergency medical technicians. Once done, parents could be protected from prosecution for abuse, neglect or endangerment.
Contact Mark Bowes at (804) 649-6450 or
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Reader Reactions
>TravisBickle:
The issue is not how well-versed TravisBickle is. The objective is to find the mother.
Whether your hair-splitting over what definition you use for the term “race” is “pretentious” or “reasonable” is immaterial, as is ‘genetic variability in a racial group.‘ It has nothing to do with the mental processes of whomever may recognize the mother.
What is needed is useful information what may lead to identifying the mother. Non-descriptive information is of little use. Even information such as hair or eye color that may only serve to reduce possibilities is a step forward.
The location is within sight of a Chesterfield fire station and 3-4 miles from Manchester Rescue Squad or JW hospital; all Safe Place locations. No excuse.
‘Concerned’ I agree with you 100%. Yes, no child asks to be brought into this world, but shouldn’t they atleast be given a chance to have a life of their own?
‘Lady Sleaze’ you say the abortion would have been a better option. Do you feel the same in your case in which you say you were abandoned as a child? Would you have preferred to have been killed and never given a chance?
How do we know that this individual wasn’t forced to do this? Perhaps she was underage and a parent made her abandon her child? No one knows the details. I thank God that this child wasn’t hurt, and yes they could have gone about it a whole different way, but I can’t help but feel that they knew the child would be found where they left it. They could have easily thrown the helpless child into a trash can or dumpster, but they didn’t. Things could have turned out alot worse, but thank God it didn’t and this child has a chance at life.
“ Posted by ( Lady Sleaze ) on October 21, 2009 at 7:47 am
it upsets me that a parent can drop off a child at a hospital or emergency center and not be held accountable for those actions”
Situations exist regardless of you believing them or not. Just because you did a great job does not mean the same results will happen for everyone. When forced to choose between giving the child up and a horrific “accident” happening to the child, the State prefers that you just give the baby up. If you can not handle it, just give the baby up. That way the baby is not harmed. If you are going to hold them accountable, the chances of that baby ending up in the trash…increase.
I’d rather see a live baby handed over, than someone incapable, of raising a child, try.
Like I said before, Good adoption agencies could have help the mother and covered the pregnancy expenses up to and including the birth. Then the baby would have gone to a good qualified family. Shame the mother of this child felt as if she had no options.
This info should be easier to come across
Think of this paradox. Folks are outraged that this mother abandoned her baby after the baby was born. However, what if in another state that allows it, this same mother had aborted (partial birth abortion) her baby just a few hours prior to the time she abandoned it? At least the baby is still alive. Although, granted the baby could have died from the elements, the baby still had a chance to live. The fact is that 4,000+ babies are aborted daily in this country, with no chance at being adopted or picked up off the street, and there is little to no outrage. ..
Only in America - twisted logic!
how moralistic is this country to make a “rule” like this? to me abortion would have been a better option…
Well-said Lady Sleaze. It makes one wonder just who owns one’s body in this country. Same applies to suicide and the forces of morality who attempt to label that as a “sickness” or worse yet, a “disease.” Like it or not, suicide is the ultimate act of personal freedom.
it upsets me that a parent can drop off a child at a hospital or emergency center and not be held accountable for those actions. as a mother, and as a child that was abandoned by their parents, its painful to know that i struggle each and everyday to provide for my children and others have them and are willing to just walk away? regardless of age, income levels, etc, there is no excusing this action. what if the child had been hit by a car? what if someone had decided to cut their grass and not hear the babies cries over the lawn mower? there are a lot of what if!...
the people on this site speak of circumstances that could have caused this person to think this was the right move. well i disagree, there is nothing acceptable about having a child and then walking away. i was 19 when i had my first and knew nothing about babies. 7 yrs later my daughter is thriving and i have even had a second.
how moralistic is this country to make a “rule” like this? to me abortion would have been a better option because this child is going to suffer. no child should have to live without the parents that brought them in the world. it leave lasting scars that transcend into adulthood. and i say this from personal experience. that is all.
The only thing worse than unnecessary political correctness are these people I see on this website all the time who see it their personal duty to rally against this supposed injustice of how “PC” things are, when they’re obviously just venting frustration that it’s not socially acceptable to use racial slurs. No one expects anyone to go out of their way to not step on anyone’s toes, but if you’re going to be ignorant enough to use an online message board depicting this horrible situation with this poor baby to rant about race and whatever Rush Limbaugh said this week, don’t be surprised if you ruffle a few feathers.
The baby was listed as Caucasian in another article. The only reason that is worth mentioning is to find the mother. Hopefully she is safe. People are capable of having babies then walking or driving if there were no complications. The child was abandoned. There is no GOOD excuse for that, unless someone didn’t KNOW that you could legally drop off a baby at a hospital or fire station with no legal ramifications.
GOD BLESS THIS CHILD AND THE WOMEN WHO CAN’T HAVE ANY!!!!
May GOD BLESS the young lady who abandoned this child as well!!!!!
CHILDREN ARE TRUE BLESSINGS!!!!
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