Police: Abandoned newborn 'Baby Jane' found in Mesa

MESA, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Police are looking for the parents of a newborn baby, who was found abandoned inside a baby carrier on Tuesday.

The Mesa Police Department says "Baby Jane" was found at around 11:00 a.m., in the area of Alma School Road and 9th Place in Mesa. The child is estimated to be 1-day-old and appears to be a full-term healthy newborn baby. The girl survived being abandoned, outdoors and in the cold for several hours right after she was born.

"I went to touch her and she moved and I went she's alive," said Roseann McCulloh.

McCulloh's son first discovered the Baby Jane wrapped in a blanket and left in a baby carrier on the front lawn. Her umbilical cord was still attached.

"She's just beautiful. She has hair, she has poundage, she's great. She was breathing well. They say she's doing well in the hospital," said McCulloh.

Police believe Baby Jane was dropped off early Tuesday morning. McCulloh says she doesn't know who the parents might be or why they chose to leave the child at her house, but she's grateful to have been the one to find her.

"I don't feel like a guardian angel.. I can't even explain it."

McCulloh says she's heartbroken, not only for the abandoned child, but for the baby's mother as well.

"That person must be so sick inside and if it was a teenage girl and she didn't have understanding parents, there were other people she could've turned to."

There's a fire station less than a block away from where the child was found. It is a designated safe place to drop off newborns and parents don't have to fear prosecution. But in this case, the Baby Jane's parents could face a child endangerment charge.

"Baby Jane" is described as a female with black hair, with an estimated height of 50 cm and an estimated weight of seven pounds and eight ounces. The ethnicity of the baby may be Hispanic or Native American.

If you have any information on the parents of "Baby Jane," please call Mesa police at 480-644-2211 and choose option two from the menu.

The Safe Haven Newborn law allows anyone to drop off a newborn at an emergency room, police or fire station with no questions asked. The law encourages mothers to give officials the baby's medical history and birth date, but isn't required. The program actually started in Arizona and is now used across the nation.

Safe Haven Newborn - https://dcs.az.gov/services/safe-haven-newborn-information