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Abandoned Newborn Found In Shoebox In Queens
By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 19, 2011
Modified Aug 19, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Aug 19, 2011
Modified Aug 19, 2011
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An abandoned newborn girl was found in a shoebox outside an Astoria building this morning. A next-door neighbor spotted the baby, along with a white and red rose, on the stoop of a home on 28th Street, near Ditmars Boulevard. "[She] saw all the toys in the yard, and decided to leave her with the family with the babies," speculated resident Stephen Katehis.
The baby, whom police described as either white or Hispanic, was taken to Elmhurst Hospital, and is in stable condition. "The baby is fine. The mother has not been found yet, but police are canvassing local hospitals," a police source told the News. The Administration for Children's Services says that if the parents are not found within a day, the baby will be placed in foster care.
A neighbor who was walking home around 3:30 a.m. last night said she heard a baby crying, but thought it was coming from indoors: "I really wish I had gone with my instincts and gone up the steps, but it was late and dark and you don't expect that. I'm so happy the baby is all right," said Shazi Dossani. The newborn joins an illustrious list of (fictional) little balls of cute who were given up early on, including Moses, Harry Potter, and the Penguin.
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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