Abandoned Baby Found With Trash

Barba Bley had no idea Thursday that she and her dog, J.D., were on anything but an ordinary walk in the early morning mist in San Carlos.

Bley said she enjoys the walks away from the sounds of an awakening city. On most mornings she hears nothing but the chirping of birds.

Thursday she heard something different.

“I was walking J.D. up a little hill along Pasatiempo (Avenue) when I first heard the baby,” Bley said. “I was wondering what a baby could be doing outside when I heard (it) cry again.” She followed the sound to an open, white plastic bag “next to the (trash) cans. When I looked inside, I saw the baby’s legs and its bottom. My heart skipped a beat.”

Bley picked up the baby and headed home with it when she spotted her husband driving to work. She stopped him and they drove back to their house on Brynwood Way and called the police.

Sgt. George Guevara of the child-abuse unit said the baby apparently is 2 or 3 days old. “It appears as if the baby was left to be taken away by garbage men,” he said.

Instead the infant was taken to Sharp Memorial Hospital where “Baby Doe” is in good condition, according to hospital spokeswoman Cindy Cohagen. She said the child is a six-pound, nine-ounce boy with dark hair and blue eyes. It is 20 inches long.

Guevara said the child abuse unit is conducting an investigation but police so far have no idea who the child’s mother is. Police spokesman Bill Robinson said, “Cases like these aren’t really common . . . but they are occurring more frequently than they did five years ago.” He said this is the third reported case this year.

Social Services Department spokeswoman Marilyn Laurence, said the child is the seventh abandoned newborn baby in the county since 1979. “What’s tragic is that these mothers apparently were not aware of the extensive adoptive services we provide,” she said.

Financial Aid

The department’s adoption unit offers free counseling for pregnant women and helps obtain financial aid to pay for birth expenses, Lawrence said. “Our workers are here to talk to pregnant women and present them with different alternatives--whether to keep the baby or put them up for adoption. If a pregnant woman wants to relinquish her child . . . she can even take part in choosing a family for her child.

“We’re not here to push one option or the other. The mothers decide what’s best for themselves and their babies. Even teen-agers living at home with parents are eligible for financial assistance, Laurence said. “Any pregnant woman can get assistance regardless of their parents’ income.”

Laurence said within 48 hours after an infant is reported abandoned, social workers request the Juvenile Court to make the baby a “dependent of the court.” Once that happens social workers try to find the best home possible for the infant or an adoptive family.

“It’s really tragic to hear of mothers abandoning their babies,” Laurence said. “There are so many families on waiting lists hoping to get such babies, so many.”