An “emaciated” baby survived several days alone in a Phoenix, Arizona, apartment after the infant’s mother died, authorities said.
Shocking bodycam footage released by the Phoenix Police Department shows the newborn clinging to life after officers broke down the door while performing a welfare check on May 14.
Authorities forced down the front door of the home after an observant neighbor called 911 to ask for a welfare check as the woman “had recently given birth to a baby, and had not been seen or heard from for several days,” Phoenix police said in a news release.
Bodycam footage shows an officer peering into the home through an open window and telling the other first responders, “The baby’s here, dude.” And the baby’s still alive.”
While looking through the window, officers also spotted the mother lying “motionless on the floor.”
Police then broke down the door and retrieved the “visibly emaciated” baby was lying on a nearby bed, police said in the release.
“Officers rushed to the front door and forced it open,” Sergeant Brian Bower said in the news release. “Officers swiftly rescued the infant and met with Phoenix Fire personnel, who took the child to the hospital in serious condition.”
Police said the baby’s health has since improved, and they are expected to make a “full recovery” after receiving “lifesaving care.”
Bower praised the actions of the officers, telling KPHO, “It’s because of the smart, immediate actions of the officers as well as the neighbors seeing something unusual and calling in for help.”
“It wasn’t learned until well after the fact from doctors and staff at the hospital that if the police officers didn’t immediately provide aide and didn’t immediately go into the apartment, the child may not have survived much longer,” he added.
Authorities are still investigating the cause and manner of death for the mother, according to the news release. The Department of Child Safety is also helping investigators and the child’s family.
