In an attempt to find her mother, Forsyth County, Georgia, authorities released photos of a newborn baby they named “India” after finding her abandoned in a secluded wooded area around two weeks ago.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, residents who live in a rural, secluded home off of Daves Creek Road in Forsyth County came home from a trip on June 6 to hear faint cries coming from the woods. As they walked toward the cries, they found a tiny newborn girl wrapped in a plastic bag.
“It is, without doubt, divine intervention that this child was found. If it wasn’t for these citizens, we would be having a different conversation,” Sheriff Ron Freeman said during a news conference earlier this month.
The baby was taken to an area hospital, where she’s expected to survive. Hospital staff named the little girl “India,” opting against calling the baby the typical “Jane Doe” name given to most unidentified people.
Alan Ragatz, the homeowner who found the baby, said he initially thought the cries were coming from a wild animal. If not for his teen daughters’ insistence, he would have ignored the sounds.
“(We) grabbed our flashlights and we’re driving around and we’re, like, ‘That doesn’t sound like an animal,’” Alan’s daughter, Kayla Ragatz, told Atlanta’s WSB-TV. “As we got closer, we realized it was a baby crying.”
Alan told ABC that as they approached the baby, they found her on a pile of leaves, wrapped in plastic.
“She was alive. She was crying, so we figured that was a good sign. Could have been worse. The credit goes to my girls. They were the ones sticking with it.”
Meanwhile, police continue to look for the baby’s family. Investigators said the baby appears to be “Caucasian or Hispanic.”
Although it’s unclear whether the baby’s mother will face charges, Georgia’s Safe Haven law allows mothers to drop of an unwanted baby with “an employee, agent, or member of the staff of a medical facility who is on duty,” as long as the baby is a week-old or younger.
Baby India is currently in the custody of the Department of Family and Children’s Services.
Anyone with any information on Baby India is urged to call the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office at 770-781-3087.
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[Feature Photo: Baby India/Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office]
