On May 9, a 5-day-old newborn was taken from a Phoenix clinic, setting off an AMBER Alert and a frantic statewide search. Law enforcement officials later located the infant in Mohave County and arrested his parents there, authorities said. The baby was taken to a hospital for evaluation and treatment.
State AMBER Alert Zeroed In On Jeep, License Plate
The Arizona Department of Public Safety issued an AMBER Alert identifying the infant as “Ollie Olsen,” age five days, and stating he was last seen near North 30th Street and East McDowell Road in Phoenix, according to Arizona DPS. The alert listed a black 2003 Jeep Liberty with Oregon license plate 041HYB and warned that the child likely needed medical attention. The DPS posting was later updated to show that the child had been found.
Parents Arrested In Mohave County, Infant Returned To Hospital Care
Phoenix police told local reporters the parents were identified as Tyler Olson and Asia Wilson and that the infant, called “Ollie” in police accounts, weighed about five pounds and was still under critical care when investigators say the pair left the clinic. Local reporting notes that the medical facility specializes in treating newborns who are withdrawing from drugs they were exposed to before birth. Both parents were located and arrested in Mohave County, and the baby was transported to a hospital for treatment, FOX 10 Phoenix reports.
How And Why Hospitals Sometimes Block Parents From Leaving
Timothy Turner, a consultant and former Department of Child Services investigator, told FOX 10 Phoenix that hospitals can legally stop a newborn from being taken home if there are signs the child could be in danger. “If it looks suspicious, if it in any way looks strange or wonky, the hospital's going to be on the side of caution and not allow these parents to take the child,” he said.
Background: Why Some Newborns Need Extra Monitoring
Newborns exposed to opioids or other substances before birth may go into withdrawal and need hospital monitoring and, in some cases, medication, according to guidance from the CDC. That clinical reality helps explain why hospitals sometimes refuse to discharge infants until medical staff are confident the babies are stable.
Investigation Rolls On
Phoenix police and Mohave County authorities say the case remains under criminal investigation, and officials have not yet released details about any formal charges. The Arizona AMBER Alert page asks anyone with information to contact the Phoenix Police Department, according to Arizona DPS.
