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Queens woman arrested for abandoning her baby at Penn Station, NYPD says


By

Brittany Kriegstein

Published Oct 22, 2025


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Commuters seen at the Penn Station subway stop on April 28, 2022

 

Angela Weiss / AFP via Getty Images


By

Brittany Kriegstein

Published Oct 22, 2025


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Police arrested and charged a Queens woman Wednesday with allegedly abandoning her baby at the Penn Station subway stop this week.

Assa Diawara, 30, is facing child abandonment and endangerment charges in connection with the Monday incident. NYPD officials said she is the mother of the infant girl found wrapped in a blanket near the southbound 1 train platform around 9 a.m. First responders took the baby to Bellevue Hospital in stable condition.

Police said they canvassed surveillance videos to track Diawara to East Harlem, where they took her into custody around 3 a.m. Wednesday.

Officials were still investigating a potential motive in the case. Information for Diawara’s attorney was not immediately available.

This is a developing story based on preliminary information from police and may be updated.

Tagged

manhattan

new york city

penn station

public safety

queens

transportation


Brittany Kriegstein

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Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].

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