Baby Doing Well After Being Found In Field
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ARLINGTON (CBSDFW.COM) - Gently rocking back and forth, a nine-month-old boy appeared to sleep peacefully in his swing.
The scratches and bug bites on his legs are the only evidence of hours spent lying alone in tall grass.
Arlington Police found the boy face down underneath a stroller near a creek. They believe he lay there at least 8 hours, during Monday morning's heavy storm.
"It could have a been a lot worse. It could have been a whole lot worse," said the boy's cousin, who asked only to be identified as Sarah.
She is grateful he's alive, but shocked his mother could have left him.
"She's a great mom. Despite everything. She loves her children. With her whole being," she said.
Officer Nicole Newton says when she arrived, Smith tried to run.
"She's holding the baby in her left arm. She's grabbing ahold of this fence. And putting her legs through the fence trying to climb the fence," said Newton.
Officer Newton was able to pry the two year away.
"It was very heartbreaking. He was crying. He was very visibly upset," says Newton.
Smith was arrested and charged with child endangerment.
Police called Child Protective Services who reached out to family about the two-year-old boy.
"It was asked, 'where is the nine month old?' They didn't even know the nine month old was missing," said Sarah.
Police and firefighters searched the area and found the boy close to a creek swollen by rain.
"It's a miracle. It's a miracle we were able to locate that baby, and it was alive," said Officer Newton.
His family says it's the two year old now they're most worried for.
"When he starts crying for mom, you know, 'Mommy', it hurts," said Sara.
Family and friends say Smith recently pulled away from them, as she struggled with what they consider an unhealthy relationship with the boys' father.
They describe her as a loving mother and told CBS11 abandoned her child is out of character for the woman they know.
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