In May 2021, a 14-year-old girl surrendered her newborn infant to the unsuspecting customers of an El Patron restaurant in Jersey City, New Jersey. The heartbreaking scene, which was captured by security cameras, showed a desperate minor with a bundle in her arms and blood running down her leg. Clearly panicked, the middle schooler asked a couple she saw eating lunch for help.
Alease Scott and her boyfriend Walter Cocca noted how distressed the young girl seemed. They were also concerned for the health of the infant. Recalling the exchange, Scott explained: “I said, ‘Do you mind if I check the baby’s vitals?’ She readily handed the baby over to me so my focus went right onto the baby.”
Scott added: “The baby had a color but I just saw that the breathing was a little bit labored.” Luckily, Scott had training in CPR. Thus, when medical gear arrived with the authorities, she focused on ensuring the baby was breathing properly. “Once I applied the oxygen mask to the baby, all of a sudden we heard the most beautiful cry and the baby started moving, she slightly opened up her eyes and then she closed her eyes but the sweetest thing was when she got hungry and she was trying to suckle on the oxygen mask so we knew she was OK after that,” Scott recalled.
She added that the girl “was just so scared.” She said: “All I saw was a child who just didn’t know what to do and made a very bad decision that worked out … for the good of that baby.”
Be sure to reach the end of this article to see the full video
On being a vital part of the baby’s survival, Scott merely said, “I’m just so happy I was there to help because she just was desperate and didn’t know what to do, she was so young.” An El Patron employee, Frankie Aguilar, concurred. He noted how the authorities were called given the young girl’s behavior. Recalling the day, he said, “Once she handed the baby to someone else, one of our customers, she just left.” Thankfully, the minor was later found and taken to the Jersey Medical Center.
The minor appeared to have been grandfathered in and given safe passage to the hospital instead of jail, in accordance with the protections guaranteed them by her state government. The parameters and procedure for surrendering a baby differ from state to state, with North Dakota having one of the longest windows. Given the middle schooler was in New Jersey and handed the baby over at a place of business, she technically was not at a designated safe space.
The New Jersey Safe Haven Infant Protection Act “allows parents or their representatives to anonymously surrender a newborn baby at any hospital emergency room, police station, fire station, ambulance, first aid, and rescue squads that are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If the baby appears to be 30 days old or less, and free of any abuse or neglect, the baby should be accepted with no questions asked.” Those authorities or stations which have received a surrendered infant are obliged to contact their local hotline. In New Jersey, the Department of Children and Families‘ Safe Haven number is 1-877-839-2339.
Organizations like Safe Haven Baby Box, which have gone viral for their TikToks that explain infant surrender, have been educating the public on the law in other states. Founder Monica Kelsey explained in a post how she was “abandoned” by her birth mother, who did not have the resources to safely surrender her.
Thanks to the actions of Scott and the understanding of the authorities, both the mother and the baby from El Patron will be better protected. Although the minor initially denied being the mother of the baby, it was later reported that the young teen mother’s parents had decided to take in the baby after learning of their daughter’s pregnancy and the child’s existence.
Meanwhile, Scott was understanding of the teen’s potential situation. She said: “I didn’t know she was 14 years old when she dropped the baby off to me … We don’t know what she went through. We don’t know how she ended up in that state.” Commenters on Scott’s original video were also understanding of the situation. One person wrote:
“So glad she chose to give the baby away and not throw it away. She is adorable. I believe she felt stuck and did the right thing. But she clearly loved the baby. So sad.”
Another said:
“That wasn’t heartless or cold. We don’t know what or why she found it necessary to give her baby away. There was probably not a place nearby that could be considered a safe haven place.”
Thankfully, everything worked out in the end for all parties involved.
What would you have done in Alease Scott’s position? Let us know — and be sure to pass this article on to friends and family who might be interested!
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