Girl, 16, identified as mother of abandoned newborn baby found on top of trash can in Chicago, police say

Thursday, May 9, 2019
CHICAGO -- Police said they are questioning a 16-year-old girl they said is the mother of a newborn baby that was found abandoned in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood.

Police said Thursday they are also questioning the baby's father.

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A woman and her daughter noticed the baby boy who was just hours old in the 1700-block of North Keystone Avenue on Tuesday. They rushed him to a nearby firehouse where paramedics performed life saving measures on him.

The infant was taken to a hospital in critical condition where his condition has since stabilized.

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A Chicago family had hoped the baby may lead them to a missing pregnant teenager. Marlen Ochoa-Uriostegui, 19, was last seen on April 23 after leaving Latino Youth High School in Pilsen. She was nine months pregnant when she went missing and had a May 5 due date.

Ochoa-Uriostegui's family called for a DNA test to be performed to identify whether or not she is the mother of the baby. Police said the girl they are talking to Thursday is not Ochoa-Uriostegui.

Ochoa-Uriostegui is described as 5'3, with brown hair and brown eyes, and sometimes wears a small nose ring. She was last seen wearing a gray sweater, sweatpants and a maroon top with a Latino Youth High School logo on it.

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Pregnant teen, 19, missing since last week last seen in Pilsen

Illinois is a state with a Safe Haven Law, meaning anyone can hand over a baby 30 days old or younger that is unharmed to staff at a hospital, police station, or fire department, with no questions asked.

Safe Haven babies go directly to adoption agencies so they can quickly find a forever home. Because the baby found in the alley was abandoned illegally, he will go to into the foster system.

To contact the Baby Safe Haven Hotline, call 888 510-2229, or you can visit Safe Haven or Safe Haven Abandoned Babies.
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