Mother of baby abandoned in C'ville found; charges likely

The mother of a baby girl found abandoned in Carpentersville Saturday afternoon is expected to face criminal charges after being located Sunday morning.

Carpentersville Police Sgt. Matt Ostrem said the mother, whom police are not yet naming, was taken to Sherman Hospital where her newborn baby was also taken Saturday.

"Both are in good condition," Ostrem said. "Charges are expected. We're just waiting approval from the (Kane County) state's attorney's office. Abandonment is one of the possible charges, but it's up to the state's attorney's office."

Ostrem couldn't say exactly when the charges will be filed, but added that the mother has not even been officially arrested at this point.

Carpentersville police issued a written statement on the case earlier in the afternoon Sunday that included information on the Illinois Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act. The information serves as a reminder that it's legal for a parent to relinquish newborns to hospitals, fire stations, police stations or medical emergency facilities while remaining anonymous. The law provides a route to allow a parent to give their baby away without facing civil or criminal charges.

The baby girl found Saturday was located behind a detached garage on the 1900 block of Bristol Circle in Carpentersville. The baby was wrapped in blankets, but police believe the newborn may have been in a box behind the garage for between 24 and 36 hours before she was discovered.