A 1-year-old is being called a "miracle baby" after surviving two days alone in a Louisiana roadside ditch during Hurricane Beryl-driven storms.
The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office had been looking for the baby since July 8, when they discovered the body of his 4-year-old brother floating in a lake behind an I-10 welcome center. Upon investigating the death, detectives discovered the boy had last been seen Saturday with his 1-year-old brother and their mother, 25-year-old Aaliyah N. Jack.
During a news conference Tuesday, Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Gary "Stitch" Guillory said authorities were preparing to search the lake for the 1-year-old when they received a call at 9 a.m. from a truck driver who had spotted the baby crawling in a ditch off I-10.
Deputies arrived and positively identified the child as the missing 1-year-old. Sheriff Guillory said the baby had bug bites but was in good condition after surviving intermittent heavy rain and wind brought to the Texas-Louisiana border by Hurricane Beryl.
"We look at this 1-year-old as our miracle baby because he was still alive," Sheriff Guillory said during the news conference. "This kid spent two days out in the weather on the side of the highway. Thank God that trucker seen him."
Jack was arrested Tuesday after a judge issued a warrant for her arrest the night prior, charging her with failure to report a missing child, and setting a $300,000 bond. She was found in Mississippi, more than 350 miles away from where her children were found.
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Autopsy results for the 4-year-old boy are still pending. Sheriff Guillory said the 1-year-old is in the care of authorities after checking out of a local hospital.
"We understand the community's concern and are committed to ensuring justice for the children involved," the sheriff said in a Facebook post. "CPSO detectives are actively working to gather all the information and details surrounding this case and the death of the 4-year-old. We will dedicate all necessary resources to ensure a thorough investigation. Our hearts go out to the family members of these two children."
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