TAMPA, Fla. — Deputies say that an investigation revealed that a baby, who they originally reported was abandoned near a Tampa intersection, was never actually abandoned.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office had originally reported that a witness found a newborn baby near the intersection of 18th Street and 143 Avenue on Thursday evening with only a red towel wrapped around him. They said that a witness took the newborn to Florida Hospital. The baby was born approximately 12 to 18 hours prior.
HCSO held a press conference on Thursday night asking for help identifying the newborn and parents.
On Friday afternoon, HCSO said that the mother and child have been identified.
"After a thorough investigation, it was discovered that child was never abandoned nor placed on the ground near a trash can," HCSO said in a press release. "The mother and the original complainant drove the baby directly to the hospital. No charges are pending in this matter."
HCSO says that the case has become a Florida Safe Haven case, which limits the amount of information they are able to release to the public.
In the state of Florida, you can leave your baby, up to 7 days old, with an employee at any hospital, emergency medical services station or with a firefighter at any fire station under the state's Safe Haven Law. As long as the child shows no signs of intentional abuse, no name or other information is required.
The baby is currently in critical, but stable condition and is in the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Family Services.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
