FORT WORTH, Texas — The Fort Worth Police Department is trying to determine who left a dead newborn inside an apartment complex dumpster.
Police responded to 4700 Norma Street on Sunday, July 14, after someone called 911 and reported finding the deceased infant.
The medical examiner has not publicly identified the child or the cause of death.
"When people hear of such a heinous crime... it affects a lot of people, especially parents," officer Brad Perez told WFAA Monday. "They can’t imagine somebody would do that to a newborn child.”
Police have not identified a suspect. Perez asked the public for help.
"The biggest thing that could assist us is people coming forward, especially in that area," he said. "If anybody is aware of anyone they believe may have been pregnant and is no longer pregnant, or if anyone saw something or heard something."
Perez noted that parents may surrender an unharmed infant younger than 60 days old to any firehouse, EMS station, or hospital under Texas's Safe Haven law.
The medic or firefighter receiving the child may not ask any questions of the parent, except about the infant's medical history. There are no repercussions for a parent who surrenders a child this way.
"This law really allows parents that don't have the resources to keep their children safe, protected, and nurtured to provide a better environment for their child," said Katia Gonzalez, director of training and team relations at Alliance for Children.
Alliance for Children provides diapers, formula, and other essentials to firehouses in Tarrant County so they are prepared to care for a surrendered child.
Such surrenders are rare. Texas Department of Family and Protective Services data indicates just 25 children have been surrendered from September 1, 2023, to July 22.
The Texas DFPS reported 36 surrendered children during the prior fiscal year, from September 2022 to August 2023.
Nearly 400,000 children are born in Texas each year, Centers for Disease Control data indicates.
"Education is probably a lot of that," Gonzalez said. "I don't know how many parents or caregivers are even aware there's that protection for them."
Surrendered children are generally taken to the hospital for a check-up, then placed in DFPS custody, Gonzalez said.
"We just want to make sure that child is safe and taken care of," she added. "The reason for the law is to prevent any further harm to that child."
In 2023, Texas expanded its Safe Haven law to allow parents to leave their children in special, climate-controlled boxes installed outside some fire stations.
"No questions will be asked of you," Perez said. "No pressure is put on you. You're actually taking a more responsible approach... Don't think you're going to get yourself in trouble. You're going to get yourself in trouble if you put a baby in a dumpster."
The Fort Worth Police Department's Crimes Against Children Unit has been assigned to the case.
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