Alleged assault victim gives birth in hospital parking lot, leaves baby in NICU

A woman gave birth in a Texas hospital parking lot during a police welfare check in March. Afterwards, she left the hospital alone, with the baby safely in the NICU.

On March 15th, police responded to a call for a welfare check outside of the Baylor Scott & White Medical Center in Plano, Texas. The woman, whose name has not been released, was pregnant and trying to leave the hospital parking lot in an Uber. The destination was a residence, so police intervened; according to a social media post from the Plano Police Department, they patiently worked with the woman to get her to stay.

Just moments after the Uber left, the woman gave birth, and the officers convinced the woman to take her baby and herself inside the hospital to receive care. They were quickly transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Hospital staff said that if the woman had given birth at home, her baby likely would not have survived.

The social media post notes, “Later that evening, Officer C Shelton, learned the woman who had given birth earlier had also complained that she’d been physically assaulted. Officer Shelton identified the male responsible, learned that he had an extensive criminal history, and was possibly a member of a local criminal gang.”

The next day, one of the officers visited the hospital to follow up, and found that the mother had left the hospital against medical advice, leaving her baby in the NICU. The baby has since placed in the custody of Child Protective Services. It is not currently known if her alleged attacker was arrested.

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The officers were praised for how they handled the sensitive situation, which required patience and compassion:

The response by both Sergeant Polite and Officer Adair was exceptional and sets the standard for professional and compassionate policing. Further, they went above and beyond their initial legal obligation to ensure the female and her unborn child were cared for and safe.

Officer Shelton’s thorough follow-up ensured CPS was fully aware of the scope and severity of the situation to ensure the newborn would receive the protections and safeguards needed.

Many states have Safe Haven laws, allowing women in crisis to safely leave their newborns if they feel they cannot care for them. In Texas, it is known as the Baby Moses Law.

Under the Baby Moses Law, a parent can safely surrender their child, 60 days or younger, with no questions asked. If the baby is taken to a designated Safe Haven destination — a hospital, fire station, Safe Haven Baby Box, free-standing emergency centers or emergency medical services (EMS) station — no charges will be filed for abandonment or neglect.

That is exactly what this woman did. In a frightening situation, she left her child in the care of first responders instead of leaving her child to die.