Baby Left at Local Hospital Local Authorities Looking for Mother

UPDATED February 13, 2019, at 4 p.m.

The Calcasieu Parish Sherrif’s Office is now searching for the mother of a newborn found abandoned in the hospital parking lot.

This article was published earlier when a doctor at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women reached out on social media looking for the mother of a child left in the grass on hospital property. 

From the Calcasieu Parish Sherrif’s Office – 

Last night at approximately 8 p.m. deputies with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office received a call in reference to a newborn being found outside at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital – Gauthier Campus on W. Gauthier Rd. in Lake Charles.

When deputies arrived they learned a woman was getting in her car to leave the hospital when she heard crying and saw a newborn baby lying naked in the grassy area near the parking lot, approximately 50 yards from the front door of the hospital. Deputies determined the newborn had been in the grass for approximately 15 minutes, and when discovered, was immediately taken into the hospital. Hospital personnel advised detectives the baby is an African-American female, and is a full-term newborn.

The Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office is asking assistance in locating the infant’s mother. “Someone knows a women that was pregnant yesterday and is no longer pregnant today and does not have a baby,” stated Sheriff Tony Mancuso. “Once this women is found she will be arrested and charged with child abandonment; but had she utilized the Louisiana Safe Haven Law, no charges would be filed against her.”

The Louisiana Safe Haven Law states mothers can go to the nearest Safe Haven facility and give the baby, up to 60 days old, to an employee at that facility with no questions asked. Some designated facilities in Louisiana include any hospital; fire station; or law enforcement agency. The infant must be left with an employee; if there is no employee present at the site the parent can contact 911. If a parent is unable to travel to a Safe Haven facility, they can call 911, and a law enforcement officer, fire fighter and/or EMS provider will be dispatched, confirm the Safe Haven relinquishment and transport the newborn to a hospital. As long as the parent leaves their baby with an employee and the baby shows no signs of abuse or neglect the parent will be protected by the Safe Haven Law and will not be arrested or charged.

The newborn is still in the hospital for a health assessment but is doing well. Once the baby leaves the hospital, she will be placed in the custody of the Dept. of Children and Family Services who will find a family to care for the baby.

If you have any information on this incident or know who this newborn’s mother may be, please call the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office at 491-3605.

CPSO Detective Jacob Dore is the lead investigator on this case.

The original article published February 12, 2019, can be found below.

Worker Asking for Information and Offering Help After Baby Left at Local Hospital

An Employee at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women asks for the person who left a baby to contact them and offers help.

On February 12, 2019, at approximately 8 p.m., Juan Bossano, Neonatologist Medical Director at Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women made the following public post to Facebook.

To the mother who dropped her baby on the grass in front of one of the hospitals please contact us at the NICU. We need information and we can help you

The phone number to Lake Charles Memorial Hospital for Women is (337) 480-7000.

No further information was available at the time this was published.