BOCA RATON, FLA. (WSVN) - The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is investigating after a newborn baby was found in a dumpster at a Boca Raton apartment complex.
According to the PBSO, two people were walking in the Boca Entrada Apartment complex area just after 9 a.m. Wednesday when they found what appeared to be a crying baby near the dumpster.
After looking around, the pair found a newborn baby girl wrapped up.
“I think there was dirt all over the baby,” said witness Sheilla Dominique. “We don’t know for how long the baby was in the dumpster. I don’t know, but it’s sad.”
Dominique said she came home from work and saw a maintenance worker carrying the baby.
“They saw the baby. He heard the baby crying, and they took the baby, and I guess they called for help,” said Dominique. “Then the EMS truck came and run with the baby. From what I heard, the baby is going to be fine.”
Deputies said the infant was taken to a local hospital and is expected to survive.
“They should figure out who the mom is, and she should be arrested,” said Natalia Saba, who lives in the area.
“I’m happy to hear that the baby was still alive and that the baby is safe and sound,” added Chanel Jonas, a resident in the area. “Hopefully, they get into a loving home, someone that can really take care of the baby.”
Jonas told 7News she had heard the baby’s heart-wrenching cries but didn’t know the baby was crying from inside the dumpster.
“I wasn’t really sure. I thought it was my neighbor’s baby. I didn’t really know it was coming from the dumpster,” said Jonas. “I didn’t think anything negative. It was just like I hear babies cry every morning when I leave to go to work.”
Residents at the apartment complex said PBSO detectives went door to door to ask questions.
“They asked me, ‘Have you seen a pregnant lady around the community?'” said resident Joe Altidore. “I was like, ‘No.'”
Detectives continue to investigate.
“It’s horrifying that somebody would do something like that. That would be my grandchild. I don’t know what possesses people to do anything like that. That’s horrible,” said Paula Scorpio, who lives nearby. “I can’t imagine a woman being that desperate. I would think bring the baby to a church.”
The Department of Children and Families released a statement on Thursday that read in part, “DCF has an open investigation, and the child is safe in the department’s care.”
Florida law states parents can leave unwanted newborns anonymously at hospitals or fire stations with no questions asked. The child will then be made available for adoption.
If you have any information on this incident, call Palm Beach Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS. Remember, you can always remain anonymous, and you may be eligible for a reward.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.