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Abandoned Newborn Found Inside Box

Search Under Way For Parents Of Child Abandoned In Ocala

POSTED: Sunday, May 31, 2009
UPDATED: 9:37 pm EDT June 1, 2009

An image of a newborn who was found abandoned in a cardboard box on the side of an isolated Ocala road was released on Monday, and police continued to search for the infant's parents.

A driver found the newborn in a QVC cardboard box, along with a blanket, an article of clothing and a diaper, Saturday evening at the intersection of Northwest 17th Street and Northwest 24th Avenue in Ocala.

Police on Monday said the girl, who is about 3 to 7 days old, appeared to be in good health, although she did suffer some ant bites. Ocala police said the child may have been abandoned the night before being found.

Westly Pringle found the infant when he noticed fingers poking out of the box on the side of the road.

"That's the roughest start you could ever have; for your mom and dad to just abandon you on the side of the road," Pringle said.

The child has been placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.

Abandoned Baby
Ocala police release an image of a newborn that was left in a box on the side of a road.

"It's terrible that someone would do that. I would rather them drop (the baby) on my doorstep than to do that. Take (the child) somewhere safe. They say ants had got on (the infant)," said Lois Dowdy, who lives near the location where the child was found.

"It's very sad. It's very dangerous. There are snakes out here," said Florastine Lee, who also lives nearby. "A lot of dangerous animals come out at night that could have eaten up that child, and that child did not ask to come into the world."

Ocala police were searching for a woman driving a gray pickup with a white topper who was seen in the area on Friday at about 7:30 p.m.

"I hope they find the parents and get things resolved," Dowdy said.

"I think that child deserved better than what that mother did," Florastine said.

State law allows for an unwanted newborn to be left at a hospital, fire station or other emergency medical service station without it being considered child neglect.

Many people have come forward offering to adopt the newborn, but authorities are looking for a family member who is willing to take care of her before putting her up for adoption. DCF officials said it will take months before she is put up for adoption.

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
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