A baby who went missing under unclear circumstances in Louisiana has been found in the most unlikely way.
Authorities began searching for an 8-month-old baby boy now identified as Niguel Jackson after his mother arrived at a firehouse needing medical help on March 15. First responders took her to the hospital, at which point she alerted them to the fact her baby was alone. The woman's family, who was contacted immediately, said that the baby was with her when she left to go to the fire station.
After Niguel's mother was treated, police took her to the search area to have her assist in finding him. "We were able to bring the mother to the scene, city police took the mother, the mother showed them an area on Plank Road near a church," Baton Rouge Fire Department representative Curt Monte said.
A ground and air search took place over hours before Niguel was found. The discovery came as investigators began worrying about the low temperatures at nightfall. Despite those concerns, Niguel was calm and quiet when he was found.
"The timing didn't give us a lot of hope, but the baby was tough, " EMS spokesman Mike Chustz told The Advocate.
BRPD spokesman Lieutenant Don Coppola said the boy's mother will not face charges over the incident. They explain it happened as a result of the medical issues for which she was treated. Her intention was to bring the child to a safe place, having left him near a church after originally intending to bring him to the firehouse with her.
"The medics jumped on him and started treating him right away and … I think he's gonna be fine," Chustz noted.
"You know, it's still in a dangerous area but still think that it's just a miracle basically to see the condition he was in. I did not expect that at all."
Police are encouraging anyone struggling with mental or physical health issues to reach out for help.
"Should anyone be experiencing a mental health crisis, organizations like Capital Area Human Services are available to the public," Sharon Weston Broome, mayor-president of the city of Baton Rouge, urged.
