HOUSTON – A baby boy who was only hours old was taken to a Houston fire station Wednesday after the child was left at a church on the city’s north side.
The incident was reported about 4:50 a.m. at the Fire Station No. 63 on Will Clayton Parkway at Lee Road.
Houston Fire Department District Chief Steve Dunbar said a man showed up at the fire station with an infant and said that the child had been left at Greater Progressive Church on Tidwell Road and Lockwood. The man said he wanted to make sure the baby was taken care of and then left, Dunbar said.
"The paramedics on scene did an outstanding job of caring for the child, they evaluated the child and transported him to the hospital," Chief Samuel Pena, with the Houston Police Department, said.
The infant, who still had his umbilical cord attached, was in good condition, Dunbar said.
Dunbar said the man who dropped off the child did not leave his name.
Firefighters ask anyone who is dropping off a baby to physically give it to a firefighter, instead of placing it outside the fire station.
"A parent or an adult can bring a baby 60 days or younger into any safe haven facility and that includes any fire station, hospital, freestanding hospitals and no questions asked," Pena said.
The case has been turned over to the Houston Police Department. If you have an information, call the Special Victims Unit at 713-308-1140.
CPS will take custody of the child after he's released from the hospital.
The Safe Haven law, also known as the Baby Moses law, allows parents in Texas who cannot care for a child younger than 2 months old to leave the baby with an employee at a hospital, freestanding emergency medical care facility, fire station or EMS station. The law also protects the identity of the person who leaves the child.
Here are some facts about the law:
- Your baby must be 60 days old or younger and unharmed and safe.
- You may take your baby to any hospital, fire station, or emergency medical services (EMS) station in Texas.
- You need to give your baby to an employee who works at one of these safe places and tell this person that you want to leave your baby at a Safe Haven.
- You may be asked by an employee for family or medical history to make sure that your baby receives the care they need.
Read more about the Baby Moses law here.
