YONKERS, N.Y. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — An infant girl was discovered in a Yonkers apartment hallway on Tuesday night, and police located and charged the mother with abandonment of a child on Thursday, the Yonkers Police Department said.
At about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, police responded to a report of an abandoned baby in the hallway of an apartment building located at 32 Chestnut St. Responding officers found the infant in the first-floor hallway of the building.
The girl was wrapped in a blanket on the floor near the entryway, and upon evaluation, police and EMS realized her umbilical cord was still attached with a black string wrapped around it.
EMS immediately transported the child to a nearby hospital and she was stabilized, police said.
Investigators from multiple departments, including SVU, found that Jacqueline Marleni Perez, 21, birthed the child alone at around 3:30 p.m.
Following the birth, Marleni Perez dressed the infant in a t-shirt, wrapped her in a blanket and placed her in the apartment entryway. A resident discovered her an hour later, at which point she wrapped the child in another blanket and called the police.
Marleni Perez was taken to an area hospital to be evaluated following her unconventional childbirth and was later released, officials said.
“I commend the compassionate and swift actions of our Yonkers PD in finding the mother, exhibiting concern for her welfare after going through a traumatic and desperate ordeal,” Yonkers Mayor Mike Spato said. “This is a poignant reminder that help, regardless of situation, is available to all of us – don’t be afraid to reach out.”
The defendant was charged with abandonment of a child, a class E felony and a charge ineligible for bail. She was arraigned on Thursday and released on her own recognizance, authorities said.
The case will be prosecuted by the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office.
“We have over six Yonkers Police buildings and 12 Yonkers Fire Department buildings in this city,” Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza said. “All of these buildings are ‘Safe-Haven’ locations, in addition to several hospitals and other locations that are designated as appropriate places for parents to legally surrender custody of infants under 30 days old. We hope that this incident sheds light on the proper procedures to follow to avoid what could have been a horrible tragedy.”
The infant is in the custody of Child Protect Services.