MULBERRY, Florida (WFLA) — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said it found a newborn baby abandoned on a small hill in Mulberry, Florida, early Saturday morning.
Deputies found the baby around 1:47 a.m. near the Regal Loop mobile home park after someone said they heard the baby crying outside. At the time the temperature was in the low 50s.
According to the sheriff’s office, the baby was wrapped in a blanket with the placenta attached to her body.
Polk County Fire Department medics said they believe the girl was born about an hour before deputies found her, based on her body temperature.
Emergency services took the newborn to a local hospital, where he is said to be in good health.
The sheriff’s office said it has deployed its K-9 unit, an aviation unit, a drone and bloodhounds to find the child’s mother, but they have not yet located her.
“By the grace of God we found the abandoned little girl when we did, before exposure to the cold or any animals did any harm to her,” said Sheriff Grady Judd. “She is left in an extremely vulnerable state, but she is a strong little girl and seems to be doing great.”
Mothers in Florida have protections to safely give up their newborns without fear of prosecution thanks to the Safe Haven Act of 2000. Parents can leave an unharmed baby at any safe haven, usually hospitals or a properly staffed emergency room or fire station .
If anyone knows the whereabouts of the child’s mother, please call the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.
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