Newborn found among trash in alley

11:35 AM CDT on Monday, August 1, 2005

Associated Press

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HOUSTON -- A video-game store employee taking out the trash in the alley at a shopping center found a newborn girl on Sunday.

Chris Patten at first thought the girl was a doll on a blanket that someone had thrown out.

"When I first turned around, I thought it was a doll, but it didn't look quite right," said Patten.

KHOU-TV

The newborn girl was found near a trash bag in the alley way.

After a closer look, he saw the baby moving her arms and went to tell his boss.

"I looked at the baby closely and said, 'This is a newborn,"' Cyberium owner Ethan Getz said. "There was about 3 or 4 inches of the umbilical cord."

There was an ant on the infant, and the two men continued to check to make sure there were no other ants on her.

Houston police and firefighters took the infant to Columbia West Houston Medical Center, where she was listed in stable condition, officials said.

"Hre lower extremities were cyanotic and blue, off color, indicating that she was cold," said HFD's Cpt. Melvin Wallace.

Estella Olguin with Child Protective Services said the girl was probably one or two hours old when she was left.

"This baby was left out in the elements," Olguin said. "If no one had found her who knows what would have happened?"

CPS officials will be in court Monday to seek custody of the girl. Officials say it will be difficult to find the child's mother with several apartment complexes and schools nearby.

"She has just given birth, (and) we want her to get medical attention," Olguin said.

The baby girl is expected to survive.