5-hour-old baby girl abandoned on doorstep of Atlanta home, police say

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

Atlanta police are investigating after a baby was abandoned on a doorstep overnight.

WSB reported the baby girl is 5 hours old, according to Atlanta police.She was left on a doorstep around 1 a.m. Tuesday and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital.

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Police told WSB the baby is in good condition but doctors told police they believe the infant is five hours old or younger.

A person inside the home in northwest Atlanta said they heard the baby crying, opened the door and immediately called police. Shortly after, the baby was taken to the hospital for treatment.

While police look for the mother, Atlanta police Capt. William Ricker said there are a lot of challenges and police are hoping the community can help with the case.

"It's pretty sad to know that somebody felt so distraught to leave an infant on somebody's doorstep and wouldn't take it to a fire station or the hospital," Ricker said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Georgia has had a Safe Haven law since 2002, which allows parents to surrender a baby without facing criminal charges. The law was expanded in 2017 to give parents up to 30 days from the baby's birth to give up the child. Experts previously told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution those most needing to understand the Safe Haven law may not even know it exists.

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