Baby Found Alive In Sapulpa Dumpster

By Chris Wright, The News On 6

SAPULPA, OK -- Police are searching for a mother they believe left her newborn child to die in a Sapulpa dumpster Sunday.

Police were called to the 1400 block of South Main Street shortly after 11 a.m., Sapulpa Maj. Jeff Gilliland said.

An infant boy was found inside a dumpster behind the Disabled American Veterans building. The commander of the DAV was taking out trash when he heard a noise and saw the baby.

The newborn was alive and taken to a Tulsa hospital. He is expected to be fine, Gilliland said.

Investigators say the outcome was unlike many other cases.

"When I received the phone call, I initially thought the baby was deceased," Gilliland said. "And then a person advised me, no, it's alive."

Authorities are not sure how long the child was left in the dumpster.

Police are concerned about the mother's health if she did not seek medical treatment after delivering the child. They hope to find her, but that may be difficult because those who live in the area did not hear or see anything.

"It was kind of scary that something like that would happen, especially for a newborn," nearby resident Doug Haun said.

Haun says he had no idea what police were doing when they arrived Sunday morning. While the circumstances surrounding the abandonment are unknown, he believes there's no justification.

"There's really no excuse for it," Haun said. "I mean for anything, for any kind of human life, there's no excuse for it at all."

The newborn is in the care of DHS's Child Welfare Division.

Anyone with information about the mother is asked to call Sapulpa Police at (918) 224-3862.