A baby is in stable condition after three people found her in a trash can and called the police

A newborn baby is in stable condition after people looking through a trash can found the infant and called authorities, the sheriff in Hobbs, New Mexico said.

Two men and a woman called 911 late Friday and announced they had found a child. The group told officers they were going through a dumpster looking for anything of value when they heard what they thought was a crying baby and pulled out a black trash bag and found the child. baby inside, authorities said.

The woman in the group held the boy, trying to keep him warm, while one of the men called the police, Sheriff August Fons said at a news conference Monday.

“We just found a baby in the trash,” one man said in the audio of the 911 call, according to local news station KRQE.

“He’s freezing cold and he’s … very very very weak,” one woman said on the call, according to KRQE.

“The team’s collective rapid response to this emergency, including the 911 notification, was absolutely vital in saving this baby’s life,” chief said.

The baby was given to EMS personnel by an officer and transported to a local hospital before being transferred to the medical facility in Lubbock, Texas. The baby is in a stable condition, Fons said.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby store and saw a white vehicle pull up to the landfill around 2 p.m. that day and a young woman exited the vehicle, taking a bag of colored trash. black out of the car and toss it in the trash before driving away, Fons said.

The baby had been in the trash for about six hours before being found, he added.

Fons said the 18-year-old mother was charged with first-degree murder and child abuse. She was arrested and taken to jail on Saturday night and released shortly thereafter. An attorney representing the young girl said that “whatever happened has been a tragedy for her family and the community.”

The young woman voluntarily met with detectives during their investigation and told them she had no idea she was pregnant until Thursday, when she went to the doctor for “stomach and apple pain.” fertilizer,” the police chief said at a press conference.

She told investigators Friday she had stomach pain and “suddenly gave birth,” he said.

“She further explained that she was panicking, not knowing what to do or who to call,” Fons added. The mother then puts the baby in the trash bag and drives around before deciding to put the baby in the trash.

The young girl’s parents told investigators they didn’t know their daughter was pregnant and only knew she was having some stomach problems, authorities said.

Authorities are currently working to set up an interview with the person believed to be the baby’s father.

“Calls of this kind often stay with officers long after they’ve been resolved, often for many, many years, sometimes forever,” Fons said.

Hobbs Police said the young girl’s first court date was scheduled for Wednesday.

Anyone who wishes to contribute to the child can do so at the New Mexico Department of Youth & Families office for Children, the statement added.

Police and fire departments were designated as Safe Haven locations, the sheriff added.

“A person can leave a newborn baby with an employee of a safe haven without criminal prosecution for abandonment or abuse if the child is born within 90 days of the date of birth. leave safe haven, as determined in a medically reasonable Fons said.

The sheriff advises anyone who may be in a similar situation to contact authorities for help.