Police Locate Mother of Newborn Found in Silver Spring Woods

Police have located the mother of a newborn infant found abandoned in a wooded area in Silver Spring.

The female infant was found Friday at around 5 p.m., police say.

According to police, a man was walking on the sidewalk near the 10000 block of Tenbrook Drive when he heard an infant crying. The man saw the infant in the woods, unclothed, 10 feet from the sidewalk and alerted police.

Police say the infant was taken to a hospital and is in stable condition. Medical personnel told police “the infant was born a few hours before she was found.”

She remains “under the care and custody of Montgomery County Child Welfare Services,” police say.

On Sunday, police announced that detectives from the Special Investigation Division located and identified the mother of the infant. The mother’s name wasn’t released, but police say she’s receiving medical care at a hospital.

Police are continuing to investigate this incident and ask anyone with information to contact the Special Victims Investigations Division at 240-773-5300 (select option 3).

Montgomery County Police Department also reminds residents about Maryland’s Safe Haven Law:

In Maryland, no one ever has to abandon a newborn baby. Under the Safe Haven law, a distressed parent who is unable or unwilling to care for their infant can safely give up custody of their baby, no questions asked. Newborns can be left at hospitals or law enforcement stations, some of which are listed below. A parent (or another adult with the approval of the mother) has up to 10 days from the birth to invoke Safe Haven anonymously and safely leave a baby with a responsible adult at a designated location. A person who invokes Safe Haven is immune from civil liability or criminal prosecution provided the child is unharmed. If you have questions about Maryland’s Safe Haven law, call the Department of Human Resources at 800-332-6347 or your local department of social services.

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Deirdre Byrne

About Deirdre Byrne

Deirdre Byrne is a social media coordinator for Montgomery Community Media. She can be reached at dbyrne@mymcmedia.org or on twitter at @DeirdreByrneMCM.

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