Man Allegedly Abandons Newborn Baby on Texas Walking Trail in Sweltering Heat
A couple taking a walk in Katy on Saturday morning found the baby, who had just been born, police said
A Texas woman and her family got the surprise of their lives when they were taking a walk on June 15 — and found an abandoned baby along the way.
That morning, Daniela Fedele and her family decided to take a morning stroll on Casa Martin Drive near Bear Creek in Katy, she said, KHOU 11 reports.
As they headed home in the sweltering heat, they saw something on that ground they said seemed to be wrapped in a towel.
“I noticed two little feet moving and then my husband was right behind me with the dogs, and I yelled to my husband. I'm like, 'Oh my God, a baby, a baby,' ” Daniela Fedele said, KHOU 11 reports. “And then my husband’s like, ‘Call 911! Call 911!’ And that's what we did.”
Her husband immediately picked up the baby off the ground while she called for help.
Surveillance video shows the couple running toward a small white footbridge near an open field, where the baby had been left.
They ran to a nearby street where they waited for first responders to arrive.
Police said surveillance video shows a slim, young Hispanic or White male walking on the footbridge, bending down and leaving something there and then running away, the Houston Chronicle reports.
The baby was wrapped in a blanket and still had its umbilical cord attached, police said.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on June 15 that when deputies responded to the 5500 block of Casa Martin, “Adjacent to a bayou, a pre-mature infant girl still with umbilical cord attached, was discovered abandoned and wrapped in a blanket. The infant has been transported a hospital in fair condition.”
The baby “was freshly born this morning,” Sheriff's Office Sgt. Juan Garcia said, KHOU reported.
Later that day, Gonzalez posted an update saying, “We need your help! We are seeking info about a young Hispanic or White male, slim, fair complexion with black hair, that was holding the infant wrapped in a towel. He was wearing a black shirt, possibly gray pants. The male was on foot.”
The man could face child abandonment charges, Garcia said, according to the Houston Chronicle.
On Monday, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said the department is still investigating.
"Investigators are out canvasing homes to see if any more video of the male seen that day," he said.
"When we identify a person the investigation will be reviewed by the Harris County District Attorney’s Office for any charges," he said.
It is unclear whether the baby remains hospitalized or has been placed into foster care.
In Texas, parents can leave unwanted babies hospitals or fire stations and if they are safe and unharmed, they won't face charges for abandonment or neglect, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Harris County Sheriff's Office or Crime Stoppers.
For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!
Read the original article on People.