Deputies investigate woman suspected of trying to abandon baby behind Adelatno businesss
A 21-year-old Barstow woman was arrested after deputies said she tried to abandon her baby behind trash cans at an Adelanto business.
At 12:36 p.m. Saturday, a deputy responded to a welfare check near the intersection of Highway 395 and Bartlett Avenue. A caller told sheriff’s dispatch that a woman was seen placing a baby on the ground behind trash cans at the back of a business.
When the woman saw she was being watched, she picked the baby up and walked toward an apartment complex, sheriff’s officials said.
The woman was last seen wearing an orange shirt and black shorts. The baby was wrapped in a gray blanket and was wearing a blue beanie.
When the deputy arrived, they spotted a woman fitting the description, who was identified as De’Janette Wade.
Wade took deputies to the apartment where she left her one-month-old son with two women who were not friends or family of Wade. She left the child just minutes before deputies arrived, sheriff’s officials said. The infant was uninjured and healthy.
The child has been placed in the custody of San Bernardino County Child and Family Services, according to deputies.
Wade was arrested and booked at High Desert Detention Center in Adelanto, with bail set at $60,000.
Safely Surrendered Baby law
California’s Safely Surrendered Baby law provides a safe alternative for the surrender of a newborn baby in specified circumstances.
Under the law, a parent or person with lawful custody can safely surrender a baby confidentially, and without fear of prosecution, within 72 hours of birth.
The law requires that a surrendered baby be taken to a public or private hospital, designated fire station, or other safe surrender site, as determined by the local county board of supervisors.
Every year, babies are illegally abandoned in the U.S. In 2021, 31 babies were placed in dumpsters, found in backpacks, or discarded in other dangerous locations — 22 of these infants were found dead.
The National Safe Haven Alliance is a nonprofit that provides safe alternatives for women and parents to prevent harm or even death of babies. For more information on Safe Surrender sites, dial 211 or call the Safe Haven Crisis Hotline at 888-510-BABY (2229).
The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact T. Baca at the Victor Valley sheriff’s station at 760-552-6800. Callers can remain anonymous by contacting We-Tip at 800-78CRIME or wetip.com.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Deputies investigate woman suspected of trying to abandon baby
