'Miracle on 34th Street': Newborn abandoned in NYC subway rescued by police

Update 10/22/25: Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of the mother of the infant abandoned in a Manhattan subway station.

Assa Diawara, 30, was arrested in Queens around 3:00 Wednesday morning. She faces charges of abandonment of a child and endangering the welfare of a child. Diawara was the woman featured in a surveillance video released on Tuesday.

She is expected to go before a judge Wednesday afternoon.

10/22/25: A newborn baby with her umbilical cord still attached was found abandoned at a Manhattan subway station on Monday morning. The New York City Police Department released footage of a person of interest in the case on Tuesday.

Key Takeaways:

• A newborn baby girl was found abandoned in a New York City subway station on Monday morning.

• First responders rescued the infant after an anonymous tip-off.

• On Tuesday, police released footage of a woman they say is a person of interest in the case.

• New York has a safe haven law that would have allowed the child's legal, safe surrender at a designated location.

The Details:

Around 9:30 Monday morning, police received an anonymous 911 phone call leading them to the discovery of an infant, wrapped in a blanket, abandoned at the bottom of a stairway at the subway station at W. 34th Street and 7th Avenue.

The infant baby girl was conscious and alert when officers arrived at the scene. She was transported to Bellevue Medical Center and is said to be in stable condition.

On Tuesday, the police department released camera footage of a woman they say is a person of interest in the case. Though they have not confirmed if she is believed to be the person who abandoned the baby, they say she is "wanted for questioning in connection with endangering the welfare of a child."

Police identify person of interest after newborn found inside Penn Station

New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow dubbed the baby girl's recovery, 'the Miracle on 34th Street.'

"I'm calling it the 'Miracle on 34th Street.' The FDNY and police department responded, they found a baby that was unattended," Crichlow said. "The baby was taken to the hospital and is in stable condition; we don't have any other additional information on top of that, but just grateful for the work of the NYPD for responding and caring for the baby."

Zoom Out:

Every state has a "safe haven" law specifically designed to curtail infant abandonments like this one. Under New York's Abandoned Infant Protection Act, a parent can surrender a baby up to 30 days old to any designated surrender site, like a hospital or staffed police precinct or fire station, without legal consequences.

The parent can make the surrender anonymously, provided he or she notifies an appropriate person right away that the child has been left.

The Bottom Line:

Despite the fact that every state has a safe surrender law, stories of infant abandonment are not uncommon. Greater awareness surrounding these laws is needed to help parents who feel unwilling or unable to care for their child.