Deputies rescue 4-month-old baby abandoned in woods near creek
Infant recovering at area hospital; police searching for 37-year-old mother
A 4-month-old baby boy is recovering in an area hospital after reportedly being abandoned in a wooded area on the banks of an Orion Township creek, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday.
A warrant is sought for the child’s 37-year-old mother, an Orion Township resident, for suspected child abuse. The sheriff’s office said the case may involve prescription drug use.
The child was suffering from hypothermia and lying face down when deputies found him in an area near Waldon and Joslyn roads after multiple law enforcement members searched for about 30 minutes, the sheriff’s office said. In all, 13 patrol cars and a K-9 unit responded to the scene, with the sheriff’s drone and aviation unit also called to assist.
According to the sheriff’s office, the situation unfolded at 8:35 a.m. Wednesday when deputies were sent to the area in response to 911 calls from residents in the area, reporting that a distraught-looking woman was hiding in bushes and ringing their doorbells. The residents said the woman believed someone was chasing her with guns. Staff from Walton Middle School reported that a frantic woman was pounding on the school’s locked doors.
Deputies located the woman and tried to calm her, the sheriff’s office said, and while speaking with her they learned she had an infant son. They
also noticed burrs on her pants, which indicated she might have been in a field or wooded area, the sheriff’s office said.
“Thankfully, deputies were able to determine a baby was missing, which triggered an immediate large response and search, and they were able locate the child,” Sheriff Michael
Bouchard stated in a news release. “Their quick work avoided what could have been an unspeakable tragedy.”
Estimating where the baby may have been left, deputies searched a onemile grid between the woman’s home, the school and the area where the residents reported seeing her acting suspiciously, the sheriff’s office said. The baby was cold and wet when found, and deputies stabilized him with
help from Orion Township emergency medical personnel. He was then taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital for treatment and observation, the sheriff’s office said.
The baby is expected to be kept in the hospital overnight and is in the care of Children’s Protective Services, the sheriff’s office said.
It’s unclear how long the baby had been in the wooded area, the sheriff’s office said.