Michigan Teen Pleads No Contest To Abandoning Newborn, Still Wants Custody
WHITE CLOUD (WWJ/AP) - A 15-year-old girl who abandoned her baby after secretly giving birth has entered a plea in Newaygo County Family Court.
The teen pleaded no contest earlier this week to fourth-degree child abuse. She initially was charged with second-degree child abuse and child abandonment following the July 28 birth.
The girl gave birth near a fire pit outside her home and left the infant across the street in the grass. About five hours later, a man walking his dog found the baby with its umbilical cord still attached. The man told reporters he thought his dog was sniffing a rabbit and started yelling when the unclothed baby started to move. He then dialed 911.
Investigators were able to track down the teen, who admitted to deputies that the baby was hers.
"(She) stated she did not know what to do with the baby, so she put the baby across the street on the ground and hoped that someone would find the baby or she would go out later to get the baby and say that she found the baby," according to court documents.
The baby was placed in a temporary foster home, but the mother and father, a 16-year-old boy, have said they want custody.
A decision was not immediately reached for the child's long-term care.
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