Two people are in custody in connection with the abandonment of a newborn girl who was found behind dumpsters at a Mississippi mobile home park, authorities said.
The two people were arrested Friday afternoon, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. Authorities did not provide further details on who they were but noted that the newborn remained in good condition and is recovering at a hospital.
The sheriff’s office said the baby was discovered around 7:00 p.m. local time Wednesday. She was bundled up in several blankets and in a car seat behind dumpsters at the Grove of Cayce mobile home park in Marshall County, about 35 miles southeast of Memphis near the Tennessee border.
The baby was transported to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis in good condition, authorities said.
“We would like to thank you for your help, support and prayers for this little girl,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook.
The incident spurred discussion of Safe Haven laws with some community members calling for more publicity on safe surrenders and baby boxes. A spokesperson with Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital declined to comment on the ongoing investigation but cited Tennessee’s Safe Haven law — which allows mothers to surrender unharmed newborns to designated facilities within two weeks of birth without fear of being prosecuted, according to the state’s Department of Children’s Services and WREG-TV.