UNNAMED NEWBORN - at birth (7/2014)/Suspect: Unnamed 14 yo mother - White Cloud MI

14-year-old mother watched as abandoned baby was rescued

Jon Mills, WZZM
10:21 p.m. EDT July 29, 2014

WHITE CLOUD, Mich. (WZZM) -- The 14-year-old teen suspected of abandoning her newborn baby along a dirt road near White Cloud was reportedly watching as neighbors found the child.

The girl acted normally as she and others waited for police and paramedics to arrive, neighbors say.

"She looked at us and she said 'I am almost 15 years old and if I ever had a baby, I surely would not do something like that,'" recalled neighbor Pam Kopp.

The baby girl was placed about 30 feet from the property line of the suspected mother's home, a place neighbors say the teen lives with her father.

Wednesday the Michigan Department of Human Services will ask a judge for emergency custody of the baby. DHS could not talk about the specifics of the case but public information manager Bob Wheaton says if a child is removed from a parent by the court, the decision can be contested.

"The mother does have the right to contest any efforts to remove the child. The mother can retain an attorney to do that," Wheaton said.

Police and prosecutors in Newaygo County did not have any information to release on the investigation or possible charges against the mother.

Neighbors worry about how the mother is doing and say they are willing to adopt the child if needed.

"I hope she is placed in a home that will love her and honor her even if she had an unfortunate beginning," Kopp said.

If the judge gives the state custody of the child on Wednesday, the mother is granted time to contest the decision. The Department of Human Services is expected to first see if there is a suitable relative to raise the baby; if not she may be placed with foster parents who are seeking adoption.

http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/local/2014/07/29/14-year-old-mother-watched-as-abandoned-baby-was-rescued/13331123/

Newborn found alive on side of road with cord still attached




Christopher Zoladz, WZZM 9:52 a.m. EDT July 29, 2014


WHITE CLOUD, Mich. (WZZM) -- A baby girl is alive and in fair condition after she was discovered abandoned on the side of a dirt road, just hours after being born.

Around 10:30 a.m. Monday, a man walking his dog discovered the infant in the 500 block of West Marion Road, south of Diamond Lake.

"I was taking my dog for a walk and he went to pull me toward some bushes," recalled Jeffrey Kopp. "I went to see what he was pulling towards and there was a baby in the bushes. At first I thought it was a rock but it was a newborn. The umbilical cord was still hooked to it."

Kopp said the baby was not crying and in plain sight under a satellite dish. Newaygo County Sheriff's deputies say she had some bumps and bruises but was breathing. They estimate the infant was less than six hours old.

"I just couldn't believe anybody would leave a baby like that," Kopp said.

Neighbors say the mother is 14 years old and lives nearby on the street. She and the child are hospitalized in fair condition at Gerber Hospital in Fremont.

The mother is not currently in custody; it's not yet clear if she will face charges.
Under Michigan's safe haven law, a person can anonymously surrender an infant within 72 hours of birth to an emergency service provider, like a hospital, police, or fire station.

A newborn baby was found along West Marion Road Monday morning near White Cloud. (July 28, 2014)(Photo: WZZM)


A newborn baby was found along West Marion Road Monday morning near White Cloud. (July 28, 2014)(Photo: WZZM)



http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/local/2014/07/28/report-newborn-baby-deserted-in-white-cloud/13271657/