Phoenix police investigating death of newborn found in backpack
May 28, 2021, 9:13 AM | Updated: 9:21 am
(Facebook File Photo/Phoenix Police Department)
(Facebook File Photo/Phoenix Police Department)
PHOENIX – Police are investigating the death of a newborn found in a backpack in Phoenix on Friday morning, authorities said.
Officers located the baby’s body in a brush area near 25th and Peoria avenues after responding to a call around 6:30 a.m., according to Sgt. Mercedes Fortune of the Phoenix Police Department.
Cause of death has not yet been determined.
“It’s difficult to respond to these type of calls. I can’t make any assumptions on what the parent of the child was going through or why this happened,” Fortune said during a press conference.
“I can only ask that if anybody has information related to anybody who they knew who was pregnant or who just recently gave birth to a child to please call Silent Witness if they don’t see the child or something is just suspicious about that person.”
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The number to call with information is 480-WITNESS (948-6377), or 480-TESTIGO (837-8446) for Spanish.
No other information about the case was immediately available.
Under Arizona law, a parent can surrender an unharmed baby up to 72 hours old to a designated safe haven facility, with no questions asked and no repercussions. A newly passed law will extend the period to 30 days starting in July.
Fire stations, hospitals and churches are among the facilities that take part in the safe haven program.
According to the Arizona Safe Baby Haven Foundation website, there have been 40 safe haven surrenders in the state.
