
Bye Bye Baby: Why Are There So Many Abandoned Newborns in Texas?
The last place an unwanted newborn baby should be put is often the first place to look: the trash.
With the expansion of Safe Haven locations and the promotion of the Baby Moses law, the continued discoveries of the most helpless members of society. infants, left in dangerous locations is confusing as it is disturbing.
Dashwood Drive in Houston, Texas
On July 21, first responders were called to an apartment complex on Dashwood Drive in southwest Houston a call that a newborn infant had been discovered in the dumpster behind the complex.
The infant, who still had the umbilical cord attached, was quickly transported to an area hospital and was declared in good health. The mother, 18-year-old Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam, was charged with abandoning a child and given a $200,000 bond.
She told the judge that she abandoned the child so that her boyfriend would not break up with her.
Found on 4th Street & Cherry Avenue in Lubbock, Texas
On July 22, a newborn infant was found abandoned in a dumpster in Lubbock, Texas. Police are still searching for the mother of the infant and have released several statements to the public appealing for information.
The current health of the infant is unknown as of the time of this publishing.
In another sordid twist, the abandoned infant was discovered a mere 48 hours after the city's first Safe Haven box was officially unveiled for the public to use.
The organization behind the Safe Haven box installations has announced that it will make a push in promoting the box and it's purpose to the public at large.
Abandoned in Pasadena, Texas
A father in Pasadena, Teaxas told a judge on July 23 that he was "overcome with mental anxiety and no longer could or want to care for the baby," according to coverage on ABC13.
Anferne Gray told authorities that he had considered leaving the child in a safe haven box at a nearby fire station, but chose not to. Instead, he placed his infant daughter next to a motel pool for 15 minutes before walking down to a nearby restaurant and placed her in a dumpster where she was found after several hours.
He has been charged with abandoning a child.
These three incidents are just several examples of abandoned infants abandoned in dangerous locations. There are countless cases reported across the state on a yearly basis--and not all infants are reported to be in good. health.
The question that plagues officials is: is it a lack of awareness or a darker side of the human psyche rooted in indifference that leads to the unsettling incidents?
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