AMY SZPARA

LAPLACE – A LaPlace newborn found wrapped in towels, in a plastic bag inside a car is being treated for respiratory problems at Ochsner Foundation Hospital in New Orleans. The baby was found Sunday morning just after 6 a.m. when officers responded to a medical emergency call regarding a bleeding pregnant woman. After arriving at the location, Acadian Ambulance and sheriff’s deputies were instructed to go to the back yard of the residence, where they found a baby wrapped in towels and sheets inside a plastic bag in the vehicle, said Capt. Mike Tregre of the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office. Paramedics got the baby out of the plastic bag, and the newborn was crying. The child was then transported to River Parishes Hospital and later to Ochsner, where the infant is doing well and expected to survive. According to Tregre, the 21-year-old mother of the baby was also taken to River Parishes Hospital. Her name is not being released while an investigation is underway, according to Tregre. Authorities said the homeowner, who was helping the woman out by giving her and her other two children a place to stay, was unaware she was pregnant because the pregnancy had been concealed. When the homeowner passed by the restroom earlier that day the young woman grabbed her leg to tell her she needed help, said authorities. The homeowner, who thought the woman was having a miscarriage, called a relative who is a registered nurse to help with the situation. The nurse saw signs of child birth, said Tregre, and the young woman told her the baby was in the back yard. The mother, who suffered complications that are not life-threatening, has not been questioned at this time. After her recovery, questioning will begin, according to Tregre.