Gone Baby Gone
At 7:30 on a Monday morning, a teenage girl holding a newborn baby approached a bus stop in Sacramento. The bus stop is only a few miles from the California state capitol building, where a law called the “SSB” was enacted—the safely surrendered baby law. The SSB allows a desperate mother to give up an unwanted baby within three days of birth, no questions asked, no prosecution for child abandonment, and hopefully no infant left in a trash dumpster, the kind of tragic scenario the law was designed to discourage.
So when the teenager—strawberry blond and about 16—appeared at the bus stop and asked a kind stranger to hold her baby while she fixed a bottle, perhaps she thought she was doing the right thing as she slipped away forever…safely surrendering her infant son. The stranger called the police. The police took the 7 pound boy to a hospital, where he was determined to be in good health, one to two days old.
But even though the police initially said the teenager tried to “do the right thing”, the law says she can be arrested and prosecuted for felony child endangerment because the only legally recognized SSB sites in Sacramento are hospital emergency rooms and fire stations. Bus stops don’t qualify. So the police are asking for the public’s help in identifying the teenage mother, who could go to jail for essentially choosing a bus stop over a dumpster.
If doing the right thing in this case wasn’t the legal thing, is the greater failure with the mother or the law?
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my opinion...
Well who is to say this was even her baby? She could have been doing a favor to a very scared friend?? In my opinion I wish we had more women who were Brave enough to hand over a baby than to murder, or abandon it in a harmful enviroment… We need more laws to protect those trying to do the right thing, than those who who do not even try…
Crystal | 1 year, 12 months ago
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thats a great idea!
lets find the mother of the newborn and put her in jail. oh and lets also stop woman from having abortions because trying to do the right thing and give her baby a life is obviously a joke. this poor girl needs to be left alone and place that baby with a loving family who will be forever grateful his mother did the right thing. start putting specifics on what is already a touchy situation where the baby goes “safe wise“how old the baby has to be and youll certainly be finding more babies in dumpsters and back alley abortions.i s that what we really want. the whole idea of whats best for these “unwanted babies“people better make up their minds or more and more wont stand a chance. it wont matter if the mother is 16 or 36. scared and alone we all do stupid stuff. its human nature!
c anderson | 1 year, 12 months ago
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Let Us Look in the Mirror
Although this story reveals a very tragic situation in our society today we need to look no further than the mirror. Platonian philosophy sees goodness as an absolute, and quite distinct from from people.
Humanity strives to attain this by making wise choices. It is worthless in this period of human history to enhance any formal teaching of values is worthless. Developing the concept of of inclusiveness is or responsibility of teaching the young responsibility while interpiting the real world and the development of mental powers to make good choices. As educators society would be best served to understand the principles of the young lady. How can anyone blame her for what she has done, but I do rest responsibility of our adult society in feeding our children a false bill of sale.
This child has watched her virtual role model trough television whose commercial prowess ads and and daily programming that promote promiscuous behavior. Enticing clothing to our young thus aiding them in growing up quicker than is needed.
Look in the mirror and we will see our failure in keeping the evil away from our children and pupils. The idea of personal responsibility involves self-discipline, physical discipline to help gain self respect enough to maintain a value consistent with those around her.
This is preventable. Our families have the formula to remedy these incidents.
Efforts toward education, intervention, and prvention of child prgnancy, drug abuse, alcohol problems and suicide are being made. Her fear of isolation from close relationships is strong and as a child she was not fully awaer of the of the implications placed upon her.
In every child who is born, under no circumstances, and no matter of parent, the potential of the human race is born again, and in them, once again, and then to each of us the responsibility towards human life.
Thank You for your time,
FS
Frank Melvin Smith Jr. | 1 year, 12 months ago
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Did the right thing...
I say she did the right thing whether it was her baby or someone else’s. She may not have left the baby at a hospital, etc per safe baby laws, but at least the baby is safe. She should not be prosecuted, but sought for counseling in my opinion.
Patricia Garza | 1 year, 12 months ago
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a mothers love
This young mother did the right thing as she could of easily killed the child or left it in a field somewhere…to charge her with felony child abuse is ludicrous…so many teens out there unaware of the laws. When will people realize these are kids who do not know the laws or consequences of their actions? A felony could ruin her life.
Mary Duval | 1 year, 12 months ago
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As a teen mom I know that it’s hard to be able to raise a child. But I don’t believe in abandoning your child at a bus stop with a stranger. I believe that what ever punishment she gets, she deserved for abandoning her child.
trish lindstrom | 1 year, 12 months ago
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baby is safe!!!
The baby is safe because of what this teenager did. First of all, a 16 year old wouldn’t normally know the law as written. She obviously knew she would have been an unfit mother. I think she saved this babys life in every way possible. She gave that baby a chance to live, and I’m sure it was a hard choice.
Janelle Saindon | 1 year, 12 months ago
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amen
Your words are so true. At sixteen this young mother probably had no clue of the law and its specific words of where to leave her infant. She is scared and left the child with a stranger at the bus stop. Right decision maybe not – but she is a kid who in the end saved her infants life. We must educate teens not only about birth control but age of consent laws (CA is eighteen) and where one can leave a baby with no consequences. Education is the key. Its time we as adults teach our children what we can and somehow force schools and clinics, doctor offices to educate them with what laws we do not know ourselves.
Mary Duval | 1 year, 12 months ago
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this could scare teens from doing right thing
If they locate this teen mom and charge her with a felony many other pregnant teens may fear the consequences and leave their babies in dumpsters. Also they could do the right thing but still fear what this young mother is facing and with their lack of judgement and maturity do something awful. The baby is safe thankfully and this mother I’m sure is scared to death and alone and afraid. Charging her solves nothing. rickyslife.com
Mary Duval | 1 year, 12 months ago
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Baby safe!
I’m very glad the mother didn’t abort the baby. Anti-abortion has a special place in my heart because I was adopted and my birthmother came very close to aborting me. I was born when she was 17 and I could very well have been left in a dumpster, as I was born in rural California. But there are programs for single mothers that help the mom start a new life, and I think that if she had kept the baby then a program like that could help her. I understand perfectly her motive, and I most definitely agree with all these comments. Heaven bless that young woman and keep her safe.
Gwen S. | 1 year, 12 months ago
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