Grandmother abandons grandson on doorstep

[DPDarkPrimus]

But wait, look at the details.

ABINGTON, Pa. -- There has been a new development involving an abandoned baby left on an Abington Township doorstep earlier this month.

The baby's grandmother is now accused of leaving the infant out in the cold.

"Baby Boy Doe" still may not have a name, but at least police said they finally know how the hours-old infant ended up on the steps of the home in Montgomery County back on the chilly evening of Nov. 8, NBC 10's Deanna Durante reported.

The newborn boy was found wearing clothes and wrapped in a blanket.

Abington police said in court papers filed Monday that those clothes were purchased by the baby's grandmother, 35-year-old Jacqueline Bethea at a Target store on Nov. 8.

It was after an anonymous tip to police that they learned the clothes and blankets found with the baby were sold at Target stores.

Court papers said police reviewed surveillance tape from that day and saw a woman buying the clothes.

Court documents also state that investigators obtained the Bank of America credit card number from the day's receipts and traced her to a home in the Frankford section of Philadelphia.

Police interviewed 35-year-old Bethea and her 17-year-old daughter. Police said in court documents that Bethea was at work, her daughter called saying she was in labor and by the time Bethea arrived home the boy had been born. Bethea's daughter had concealed her pregnancy from her mother.

The court papers said the grandmother bought clothes at the Target on Old York Road and the intention was to take the baby to Abington Memorial Hospital, which is down the street from the Target. But police said the 17-year-old and Bethea told police that they got scared and spotted a home around the corner from the hospital. They knocked on the door and left the baby outside.

According to court documents, Bethea told police, "It wasn't the intention to harm the baby. We were afraid. We didn't know what to do. We thought that we were doing the right thing at that time."

No one answered the door Monday at Bethea's home, although Durante reported that she did see people looking out the window.

The Frankford woman has been charged with endangering her newborn grandson.

Bethea was arraigned Monday morning and released on $5,000 unsecured bail. She has a court hearing scheduled for a few weeks from now.

The grandmother could have avoided charges had she gone through with leaving him at the nearby hospital. Under Pennsylvania's safe haven law, anyone may leave infants up to 28 days of age at local hospitals or health care providers.

The boy, now 3 weeks old, remains in the care of Montgomery County's Department of Children and Youth. Investigative sources told NBC 10 that they hope the child will be adopted to a good home.

source

[Tsyroc]

My dad was 35 when I was 17.

Anyway, I don't know what she was thinking but it looks like her daughter's situation caught her completely by surprise so I can kind of see why she didn't know about the safe haven law in Pennsylvania.

We have a similar law here in Arizona and from what I've heard it's been very helpfull in saving the lives of newborns whose parents don't want them or are unable to care for them.

I wonder if Pennsylvania puts much effort into getting the word out about the safe haven program. I would think that it might be something that should be publicised in high schools but I could also see that being problematic as well. Wouldn't want to encourage those kids to have unprotected sex and then just ditch the baby at a hospital while they get away free and clear.

[Cairber]

I live right near where this happened and I everytime I hear this on the radio I just don't understand why they are charging these people. It was one block from the hospital, and it's understandable that they would be afraid of questions.

Here is an article on thesafe haven laws when passed here in PA:

There are nearly 270 hospitals in Pennsylvania where parents may safely surrender their baby if they fear that they cannot care for the child. Babies can be left with any hospital staff member or, if a person is unwilling or unable to wait, they will be directed by signs on where to place the baby. As long as the child is unharmed, the parents will not be asked any questions.

I have been to 5 hospitals in this area, in all the maternity wings and waiting areas, through both front and side doors and I have never seen any such signs telling people where to bring safe haven babies. I have been to Abington hospital (the one they were suppose to leave the child at) and I have never seen any such signs.

http://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view ... 54737&A=11