HOUSTON – A judge ruled Monday that a newborn who was found abandoned inside a plastic bag in northwest Harris County will remain in the custody of Child Protective Services.
The baby, who nurses named Chloe was found outside the Stonegate Villas Apartments on Grant Road near Jones Road about 7 p.m. on Feb. 19.
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The baby was taken to Texas Children's Hospital for care. Doctors said she may have been born prematurely -- she only weighed 4 pounds when she was found. She also had about 3 inches of her umbilical cord attached.
Chloe has been living with a foster family. CPS officials said she is healthy, happy and there have been no problems with her current living arrangement.
Child Protective Services said they want Chloe's biological parents' rights to be terminated. A judge has not determined a hearing date for that action, but one is expected to be announced soon.
Even though their rights are expected to be terminated, officials still want to find Chloe's natural parents. CPS officials said they would like to get Chloe's medical history to pass along to her adoptive parents.
Harris County sheriff's deputies also want to find the natural parents as they could face criminal charges.
Artist Lois Gibson, who has created thousands of sketches of crime suspects and victims, drew the images of what the parents may look like solely based on Chloe's appearance. She did not have any witness descriptions to use.
The sketches are not meant be exact images of a couple, but show what Chloe's features would look like on a man or a woman.
"I saw her face and I was imagining her as an adult female," said forensic artist Lois Gibson. She told Local 2, "It's easy for me to do that. Then it dawned on me, why don't I draw what she looks like as an adult."
She drew the father first, then added the female features to the image. She hoped that someone would see the sketches, see some similarity, report the parents and hope that Chloe would be adopted by a family that will love her.
Anyone with information about Chloe's parents and/or the person who abandoned the baby is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Women who are in crisis and have thoughts of abandoning their baby are urged to call 1-877-904-SAVE.