Baby box saves first infant’s life in Hobbs, New Mexico: ‘This is a great day’

An infant was safely surrendered on Saturday, September 23, 2023, in a Safe Haven Baby Box in Hobbs, New Mexico. This is the first save at this location since the box was installed in May.

According to KRQE, first responders at Fire Station One on 301 East White Street heard the alarm on their station’s box Saturday afternoon, indicating it had been used. They retrieved the newborn, who was then taken to Covenant Health Hobbs Hospital to be examined.

Safe Haven Baby Boxes allow an easy, safe, and anonymous way for a parent to surrender their newborn in accordance with their state’s safe haven laws. The temperature-controlled boxes are equipped with a bassinet where the baby is placed. The placement of a child inside triggers a silent alarm which alerts authorities, who are able to respond to the infant within minutes.

In New Mexico, the Safe Haven for Infants law allows a parent to surrender any infant within the first 90 days after birth to any safe haven site, including the Safe Haven Baby Box, without fear of prosecution for child abandonment. Despite this law, the state has seen several tragic cases of infant abandonment lately, including two instances in Hobbs. Earlier this month the body of a newborn was found in a hospital trash can, while in January 2022, a teen mom threw her baby in a dumpster. Thankfully, that child was rescued and survived.

The baby box was installed thanks to the efforts of Sen. David Gallegos, who sponsored the legislation that amended the state’s safe haven law to allow baby boxes. Gallegos told Live Action News it was “incredible” to see the baby box at work.

“The thing that really excites me is that we know that the safe haven box works. It’s been proven. We know that we have the need,” he said, referencing the newborn who was thrown in the hospital trash. “The next piece is educating the public, and we’re trying to get into the public schools to be able to do that because it needs to be a first thought, not a last thought. But it’s really incredible that we’ve had the opportunity to see that it works.”

Hobbs Interim Fire Chief Mark Doporto echoed these sentiments. “This is a great day for the community of Hobbs, New Mexico. With all the tragedy that’s been going on with these types of incidents in New Mexico, this is a great day,” he said.

“The Hobbs Fire Department is very proud and happy to have a serviceable baby box for our community, and we’re even more happy that a brave and courageous person decided to make the right decision and put this baby in the baby box,” he added.

City Manager Manny Gomez said: “A miracle happened in Hobbs today when staff responded to Station One’s Baby Box alarm to find a healthy newborn baby boy safe and sound within the incubator. This is all that could be hoped for in such a situation, and staff are elated that the Safe Haven Baby Box served its purpose perfectly and a new life was saved.”