Grandma of 'Miracle Baby' Found Alone on Highway Says Infant's Mom Allegedly Fled With Them Before Disappearance
Aaliyah Jack, 25, has been charged with failure to report a missing child
Mississippi law enforcement
Aaliyah JackConswella Jack claims she was taking care of her grandchildren when her daughter, Aaliyah Jack, fled with her two children without warning during a visit.
Conswella is the grandmother of the 1-year-old who was found alone on the side of a highway on Tuesday, July 9, and of the infant's 4-year-old sibling whose remains were found the previous day.
The 1-year-old “miracle baby” was rescued from a Louisiana highway by a trucker one day after authorities found the remains of his older brother, in Calcasieu Parish, La., the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office says.
It remains unclear what the 4-year-old's cause of death was. Aaliyah, 25, has been arrested on a charge of failure to report a missing child, per police, but has not been charged in connection with the 4-year-old's death.
The series of events reportedly began last weekend when Aaliyah was meeting her children in Lafayette, La., according to Conswella, who spoke with the Acadiana Advocate.
Conswella told the outlet that the children were in her care despite Aaliyah having legal guardianship, further claiming that Aaliyah was struggling financially.
On Saturday, after meeting her children, Aaliyah allegedly took them without notifying her mother, Conswella told the outlet. The concerned grandmother tried to reach Aaliyah who allegedly only responded with a text, Conswella said.
"She sent me a picture of a car in some bushes that kind of looked like it was wrecked,” Conswella told the Acadiana Advocate. “I was confused, so I called, called and called, and could not reach her.”
On Monday, July 8, Calcasieu Parish police responded to a report of a child’s body at a rest stop, the sheriff’s office said in a statement at the time.
Police later learned the 4-year-old was last seen with his mother Aaliyah and his 1-year-old sibling. Aaliyah was later arrested in Mississippi, police said, but the 1-year-old was not with her.
On Tuesday, police responded to a call in reference to a 1-year-old baby found in a ditch along a highway and soon identified him as the deceased boy's sibling, according to their statement.
KPLC via AP
The highway where a 1-year-old child was found on TuesdayConswella told the Acadiana Advocate that she is struggling with the grief of losing one grandkid and the joy of finding the other safe.
“I was so blessed to hear the baby survived but also so hurt because one is now gone,” Conswella said, per Acadiana Advocate.
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The rescued child has been named the "miracle baby," Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Gary “Stitch” Guillory said at a press conference after his rescue.
“We looked at this 1-year-old as our miracle baby because he was still alive... unbelievable,” he said, according to a statement shared by the Associated Press.
“This kid spent two days out in the weather on the side of the highway,” Guillory added. “Thank God that trucker seen him.”
It wasn't immediately clear if Aaliyah has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on her behalf.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
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