Missing 2-week-old infant found after being taken by mom from Sun City medical center
Infant found after noncustodial mother accused of taking him from Sun City hospital
Authorities located a 2-week-old boy last seen at a Sun City hospital after his mother fled on foot from child safety officials. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi has the latest.
SUN CITY, Ariz. - Officials have located the missing infant last seen leaving a Sun City medical center with his mother earlier this week.
What we know:
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office was searching for the 2-week-old, who was last seen with his 37-year-old mother leaving Banner Boswell Medical Center at around 4 p.m. on Nov. 3.
"Prior to [the child's] birth, his mother reported drug usage. Following his birth on October 25, 2026, the Department of Child Safety (DCS) implemented a present danger safety plan," the sheriff's office said.
When DCS contacted the mom at the medical center to take temporary custody of the child, the mother allegedly refused to surrender him and fled on foot. According to officials, the mother is a noncustodial parent.
Just after 8 p.m. on Nov. 7, deputies said both were found and are safe.
What we don't know:
Police have not released details on where they were found and what condition they were found in. It's unclear if the mother will face any charges.
What they're saying:
Due to his extremely young age and vulnerability, the baby was considered to be "substantial risk of harm," requiring "immediate and continuous care," MCSO said.
"With an infant, we don't necessarily, you know, have characteristics to look for. They're not walking amongst us on the street. So it makes it a lot more challenging," said Leila Woodard, the founder of the Arizona Missing Child Task Force.
Dig deeper:
The mother's reported circumstances include homelessness and being out of a job, which MCSO says further heightened the child's safety.
"There are definitely resources for mothers who are homeless that you know, are carrying a child, you know, and shelters and things like that that help women like that," Woodard said. "There's also other nonprofits that help, you know, newborns detoxing after drugs and things like that. So there were definitely different outlets that could have been used."
Woodard said she's seen similar cases before, and urges people in the area to stay alert, watch for anything that could help locate the baby, and report any information that could help bring him to safety.
"We want to make sure that the child is safe," she said. "You know, a child this young is easy to hide… if you see anyone with a young two week old child on the streets, definitely contact your local police department.'
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office; the Department of Child Safety; the founder of the Arizona Missing Child Task Force; and FOX 10 reporter Jacob Luthi.