Moment police found baby abandoned in Michigan forest: ‘This could have been an unspeakable tragedy’
Sheriff for Orion Township says incident ‘could have been an unspeakable tragedy’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sheriff’s deputies found a 4-month-old baby boy in a forest after responding to reports of a woman acting frantically in Michigan.
The infant, who was found face-down in “a hypothermic state”, was breathing when deputies from Oakland County, Michigan, found him on Wednesday.
It came after deputies were called to reports of “a frantic woman” ringing the doorbells of residents in Lake Orion, the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post.
Residents were told by the woman, who had been hiding in bushes, that she was being chased by "someone with guns".
Staff at a nearby school then informed officers that “a frantic woman” had been banging on the locked doors of the school.
Read more:
Deputies afterwards found the 37-year-old woman, who was described as having had burrs on her pants, “suggesting she may have been in a field or wooded area.”
Officers were informed that she had an infant son, and so began searching for the baby in a woodland area between her home and the school.
Within half an hour, and the dispatching of both a K-9 unit and aviation unit, the deputies found the 4-month-old “in a wooded area on the banks of an Orion Township creek.”
Oakland County sheriff Michael Bouchard thanked the responders for working to avoid “what could have been an unspeakable tragedy.”
“Thankfully, deputies were able to determine a baby was missing, which triggered an immediate large response and search, and they were able locate the child,” the sheriff added.
Deputies said the infant, who is receiving care, was transferred to the protection of child services in Michigan.
An arrest warrant is being sought for the woman, who deputies suspect may have suffered from prescription drug abuse, according to the sheriff’s office.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments