Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Teens Find Newborn in Queens Dumpster
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 18, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Dec 18, 2007
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Given how cold it is, this story is amazing: A teen who had been skateboarding with friends in Elmhurst last night heard some crying and found a a newborn baby girl wrapped in a blanket, inside a brown paper bag, at the top of a dumpster. The temperature was below freezing.
Christopher Moncada said his brother Brian found the baby and when they opened the bag, "The baby was facing down. It looked like it was suffocating. I turned it over and its arms started to move...We just helped out the baby, because it's bad to see a baby die, you know." The Post reports that the boys left the infant with their friends and then headed to the 110th Precinct for help.
The 4-pound baby was slightly hypothermic, but she is now in stable condition at Elmhurst Hospital. Doctors think she was a few hours old and had been in dumpster for 30 minutes; they aren't sure if she wold have survived much longer. Medic Giovanni Caballero told the Post, "It's a Christmas miracle. Thank God for these kids walking by at the right time."
NY State does have a safe haven law, where babies may be abandoned at police stations, fire houses, and hospitals - with no questions asked - but there has been some question as to how effective the law is.
Tagged
babies
baby
christmas
dumpster
elmhurst hospital
fire
friends
hospital
kids
law
news
ny state
police
queens
thank god
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
5 men charged with trespassing in 2 Manhattan manhole cases
Two people who were found soaking wet and smelling of sewage say they went underground to look for jewelry, according to police and a criminal complaint.
By
Charles Lane
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 7:49 p.m. ET
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
News
6-year-old girl breaks leg after getting hit by falling bricks in Queens
The girl was walking with her mother in Maspeth on Thursday. The Department of Buildings cited the owner of a garage for “failure to maintain” it.
By
Charles Lane
Mamdani extends ban on permits for new street fairs due to NYPD overtime
By
Carol Chen
Inside the Midtown Bus Terminal rebuild: Decks over Lincoln Tunnel approach, a new park
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Black couple seeking Queens apartment sues over racist text from broker
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .