BATON ROUGE – An abandoned baby was found alive after a sprawling hours-long search involving dogs, drones and a helicopter Wednesday morning.
The search unfolded around 9:30 a.m. off Hooper Road, just east of Plank Road.
Sources told WBRZ a woman had the 8-month-old when she was last seen at an apartment building. She did not have the baby when she arrived at a nearby fire station.
That woman, who may have a mental illness, was reportedly taken into custody.
A woman who identified herself as the baby’s nanny was speaking to WBRZ when she learned the child had been found alive. Officials said the baby was spotted from a helicopter after the mother told first responders where to search.
Police said there are no charges pending at this time for the mother, citing apparent medical issues.
An EMS spokesperson said the infant appeared to be “very healthy” when found by paramedics.
The mayor’s office released the following statement urging those suffering from mental health problems to seek help.
Thank you to our emergency responders and community members whose quick coordination led to the recovery of the missing infant this morning in Baton Rouge. The Lord guided your efforts today. Should anyone be experiencing a mental health crisis, organizations like Capital Area Human Services are available to the public. Locations are available to walk-ins throughout the area including:
- Baton Rouge Behavioral Health at 2751 Wooddale Blvd
- Children’s Behavioral Health at 422 Colonial Drive
- North Baton Rouge Behavioral Health at 7855 Howell Boulevard
- Capital Area Recovery Program at 2455 Wooddale Boulevard
Capital Area Human Services can be contacted at 225-925-1906.
This is a developing story. Watch WBRZ News 2 at Noon for live, breaking news reports. Stream WBRZ newscasts here.
