Florida Police Discover Three Newborns Abandoned Years Apart Are Siblings
Genetic tests show the babies share the same mom and dad.
Abandoned newborn [screenshot from WOGX]
Orlando police used genetic testing to determine three newborns that were born and abandoned over a three-year period are related, public documents reveal.
The babies were each found at the Willow Key Apartments — one in 2016, another in 2017, and the last in 2019, NBC News reported.
The children’s connection with each other came to light after police requested $2,500 from the city council to pay for the genetic tests.
A note discovered with the third sibling, who was discovered on the doorstep of a tenant at the apartment complex in July 2019, “explained the baby was left at the location because the mother was in fear of the child's father," Orlando police Det. Ghena Luker wrote city lawmakers in a funding memo.
On Tuesday, police released a statement confirming DNA tests prove all three children share the same mother and father.
"If we are able to identify the mother, her safety is our top priority, as well as the safety of any other potential children,” Florida officials said of the ongoing investigation.
According to police, Florida’s Safe Haven Law allows a parent to anonymously surrender their unharmed newborn, who must be less than one week old, at a fire station, emergency medical services station or hospital.
While it’s unclear if the parents would face charges if found, an Orlando police spokesperson said decisions are made on a “case-by-case basis,” NBC News reported.
Read more: Daily Mail
