1-Year-Old Found Abandoned In Times Square
- NYPD found a one-year-old child abandoned in Times Square and are investigating how long the child was left alone. - Officers have not publicly announced arrests or identified a suspect, while the baby is now in protective care. - The case has drawn immediate police attention as investigators search for the child's guardian (patch.com).
New York police are searching for the person who left a 1-year-old girl alone in a stroller in Times Square late Tuesday night. Officers found the child near West 44th Street and Seventh Avenue after an emergency call, and she was conscious and alert. (abcnews.com) The New York Police Department said the girl was found shortly after 11 p.m. on April 21 and was taken to Northwell Greenwich Village Hospital in stable condition. Spectrum News NY1 reported Thursday that the child is now in the custody of the city’s Administration for Children’s Services. (ny1.com) Detectives are looking for the child’s father, who police said was the last person seen with her. ABC News reported investigators believe he may have taken the girl during a dispute with the child’s mother, then knocked the stroller over and ran away. (abcnews.com) PIX11 reported police sources said the parents had argued before both left the area, and investigators have not said how long the child was alone. Officers are reviewing surveillance video from one of the city’s most heavily monitored commercial corridors. (pix11.com) The case has drawn attention in part because New York’s safe-haven law does not apply to a child this age. The state’s Abandoned Infant Protection Act covers newborns up to 30 days old, if they are handed over safely at a hospital, police station, fire station, or another appropriate location. (ocfs.ny.gov) For children older than 30 days, parents who want to give up custody are directed to contact the Administration for Children’s Services rather than leave a child in public. CBS New York cited city guidance saying parents can work with an Administration for Children’s Services field office to transfer custody or discuss surrendering parental rights. (cbsnews.com) New York law also treats child abandonment as a serious crime. CBS New York reported it is a felony in the state to abandon a child under 14, though police had not announced an arrest as of Wednesday’s update. (cbsnews.com) As of Thursday, the girl was reported to be safe, and the police search was still focused on finding her parent or guardian. The next public update is likely to come from the New York Police Department once detectives identify or locate the adult they believe left her there. (ny1.com)
