The 1-day-old baby was found Saturday wrapped in a T-shirt and brought to a local hospital.
Instead of spending his first hours getting to know his family, this Florida newborn was left on the doorstep of a stranger’s home.
The 1-day-old baby was found Saturday wrapped in a T-shirt at an Orlando apartment complex with a heartbreaking note.
It read: "I had him in the bathroom. His dad tried to kill us. Please keep him secret and take him to hospital. Dad a very dangerous man. I'm so sorry, I tried to clean him and feed him as much as I [could,]” according to KCCI.
Authorities from the Orlando Police Department took the baby away to a local hospital shortly after he was discovered. They said the newborn appeared to be in good health.
Clive Petgrave, who lives at the Willow Key Apartments on Arnold Palmer Drive, said he was in shock someone left their baby at his doorstep, according to Orlando Sentinel.
“I was surprised, because, you know, something happened right at my door,” Petgrave said.
He awoke to police knocking on his door, and didn’t get a chance to see the baby before authorities took the infant away. Neighbors had reportedly dialed 911 earlier that morning when they heard the baby crying.
“[Police] asked me if ... I had seen anyone that was pregnant. I said no,” Petgrave said.
Under Florida’s Safe Haven Law, a baby up to 1 week old can be brought to a hospital or fire station without the parent risking criminal charges.
However, Sgt. Eduardo Bernal of the Orlando Police Department told WKMG that by not turning the baby over to a firefighter or hospital worker, the parent risked the child’s safety.
“It's very serious. You're talking about a 1-day-old infant that can't take care of themselves, there's a lot of medical needs that start when the baby's born, and with the heat wave it's very dangerous,” Bernal said. “That's why this law was created, to give parents an out, to transfer custody and make sure the baby's taken care of.”
A similar incident happened in the same apartment complex two years ago. The baby girl was left with a note urging whoever found her to take her to the fire station. It is unclear whether her parents were ever found.
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