Officials refuse to share any new info regarding baby found in Savannah hotel trash can

by Madalyn Bierster

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah Police responded to the Quality Inn on Abercorn Street around 3 a.m. Saturday, where two officers found an infant inside a trash can.

“911 we need you to respond hot to reports of a baby in a trash can,” a dispatcher said, according to EMS call audio.

First responders gave the child medical attention. Savannah Police say the baby is safe with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, but the department has not released any additional information about the baby’s condition since a statement issued Monday, and will not answer any questions.

Police, DFACS decline to comment

Savannah Police are not releasing additional information, including the baby’s gender, current condition, or injuries at the time the baby was found.

WTOC’s Madalyn Bierster went to the DFACS office to ask about the baby’s condition and how people who wanted to foster or adopt the baby could do so. The agency did not have anyone available to talk. The agency later called WTOC to clarify that privacy protections prevent employees from discussing the case at all.

First responders contacted by WTOC’s Madalyn Bierster, including Chatham EMS, cited HIPAA laws in declining to discuss the baby’s current condition or condition at the time it was found.

Though noticeable blood droplets were seen at the trash can that the baby was found inside of. It’s unclear if the blood is the mother’s or the baby’s.

Savannah Fire never responded to our questions.

EMS responded to woman hemorrhaging

WTOC has reported that EMS responded to a woman hemorrhaging. The EMS director said that at the hospital, first responders determined the woman had given birth and told police to search the hotel.

WTOC went to the Quality Inn Wednesday morning. A woman at the front desk declined to answer questions saying she didnt know and didnt have any information. She said a manager was out of the office. WTOC emailed hotel management and has not received a response.

Safe Haven law advocate responds

Under Georgia’s Safe Place for Newborns Act, the state gives criminal immunity to a mother who leaves her baby with a staff member at a hospital, fire station or police station.

Monica Kelsey, Founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, said her organization provides an anonymous option for mothers to drop off their babies.

“We just put a box in Georgia, and so this is devastating news, especially after the fact that we just had another abandoned baby in Georgia two weeks prior to this,” Kelsey said.

“Education and awareness have to be on the forefront right now as these two cases kind of bring the Safe Haven Law to the forefront,” Kelsey added.

Kelsey said her organization is pushing education and awareness across Georgia “because how can we not with two abandonments in the last two weeks?” She said the state’s first baby box is located in Henry County, about 15 miles south of Atlanta.

“We have to give these moms another option, which is the anonymity piece of the Safe Haven Baby Box. And only then will these cases stop,” Kelsey said.

Kelsey said her organization has received inquiries from people in Savannah asking how to get a baby box in the city.

Signs outside our local hospital showcase that it is a designated safe place to drop off your baby, no questions asked

“I do see Savannah probably getting one, I don’t know how soon, but I do see them probably getting one, especially now that this case is just going viral,” Kelsey said.

Kelsey said every fire station in Georgia is a safe haven location, and mothers can hand over a child without being asked questions.

She said her organization asks mothers to call so they can coordinate with a fire station that does not have a baby box.

“We will set all this up for you to make sure that it goes smoothly, but just call us. Resources are there. We would be happy to walk alongside you on this journey,” Kelsey said.

Kelsey said parents can call the organization’s hotline at 1-866-99-BABY1. She said the hotline receives about three calls a day from mothers across the country.