A man captured on video abandoning a newborn near a bayou in Harris County, Texas, has prompted a search by local authorities. The incident occurred on June 15, with security cameras recording the event on a walking trail along Casa Martin Drive. The baby was discovered around 9:00 a.m., wrapped in a towel and with her umbilical cord still attached, indicating she was just born.
“The baby was a newborn,” said Sgt. Juan Garcia of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. “Still had fresh placenta on the baby. So, it was freshly born this morning.”
The video shows a man, described as a young Hispanic or white individual with a fair complexion and black hair, abandoning the baby. He was wearing a black shirt and gray pants.
The infant’s life was saved by a family out for a walk. Daniela Fedele and her husband, Luis Marin, were returning from their walk when they noticed the towel on the trail. “We were coming back from our walk this morning, heading home because it was hot,” Fedele explained. “When I went ahead and looked closer, that’s when I noticed a little baby with her two feet moving.”
Marin picked up the baby while Fedele called 911. “I hold it. The baby opens their eyes to me, looked at me,” Marin said. “We make eye contact. And I’m like, how can somebody just do this?”
Reflecting on the experience, Fedele said, “We were just there by chance. I guess by God. God put us there, I guess.”
The baby was quickly taken to the hospital by paramedics. According to Melissa Lanford of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, the baby was released from the hospital on Friday evening and placed with a foster family.
Detectives continue to search for the man who abandoned the newborn. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS (8477) or submit an anonymous tip online.
