Police said a newborn girl was left outside a Harris County, Texas, apartment building less than an hour after being born, according to Click2Houston.
Neighbor Albert Peterson allegedly found the child Thursday morning while on the way to work. The man said he originally thought the noise he heard was a cat.
“She was there on the ground in the flower bed with ants,” Peterson told KPRC. “She was covered from head to toe and all in her ears…She had a lot of strength, too. She was fighting.”
In the cell phone video captured by John Baldwin (posted below), the infant is seen and heard screaming while on the ground.
While Harris County Deputy Thomas Gilliland said that the umbilical cord was intact, investigators revealed at a Friday court hearing that the baby got a bacterial infection from the cord being ripped out, records have noted.
The baby, who weighed 6 pounds 13 ounces when she was found, is being treated in the neonatal ICU for the infection and a rapid heartbeat.
Authorities said investigators followed a trail of blood to a nearby apartment and detained two people identified as the newborn’s parents.
In a shocking development, the alleged father of the infant testified in a Houston court that he never knew the mother was pregnant. Deandre Skillern identified himself to the judge as the child’s father. Sidney Woytasczyk, 21, said to be the child’s mother, was seen with Skillern on Friday, according to reports.
Skillern reportedly took a DNA test to verify whether he’s the baby’s father. However, authorities said he claimed he was the girl’s father during Thursday’s investigation.
The child’s maternal grandmother, Tina Woytasczyk, also testified that she was unaware that her daughter was pregnant.
Friday’s hearing was aimed at determining who would take custody of the child once she’s released from the hospital. Both Skillern and the baby’s maternal grandmother are seeking custody.
“The judge will decide where the child will be placed when she’s released from the hospital,” Child Protective Services (CPS) said in a statement.
Prosecutors said that a grand jury will see the case next week and will determine whether Sidney will be charged. The next hearing is scheduled for August 24.
[Featured Image: KPRC/screenshot]
