A Sunday night call to 911 turned into a mystery at Cahokia Mounds after Collinsville officers found a newborn infant asleep in a car seat in the parking lot, according to police. The child appeared to be in good health and was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
Collinsville police say they were called at about 8:35 p.m. on Sunday, June 7, after a 911 caller reported the infant. Officers arrived, found the child sleeping and appearing to be in good condition, and transported him to a nearby hospital for a medical check, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Police described the baby as a Hispanic male estimated to be about one week to less than one month old, wearing an orange-and-white striped onesie and a small hat.
What Investigators Are Asking
Witnesses told police they saw a Hispanic man driving through the Cahokia Mounds parking lot between about 7:40 and 8 p.m. The vehicle, described as a small, older-model navy-blue passenger car that was extremely loud, was last seen heading west on Collinsville Road, according to RiverBender. When officers found the child, he was secured in a green-and-black Evenflo car seat.
Legal Context
Under the Abandoned Newborn Infant Protection Act, Illinois residents can legally and anonymously relinquish an unharmed infant they reasonably believe is 30 days old or younger to hospitals, police stations, fire stations or emergency medical facilities without civil or criminal liability, as long as they hand the child directly to personnel instead of leaving a baby unattended, according to the Illinois General Assembly. That distinction helps explain why investigators are treating the Cahokia case as a welfare and identification effort rather than jumping straight into a criminal prosecution.
How Rare This Is
Illegal newborn abandonments are uncommon in Illinois. A recent report found the state had gone nearly three years without an illegally surrendered baby before May, which underscores how unusual this case is, as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times. Police appeals for tips are a standard next step in cases like this one.
How To Help
Collinsville police asked anyone who recognizes the infant, the orange-and-white onesie, or the green-and-black car seat, or who can identify a Hispanic female who was recently pregnant or a Hispanic male driving a loud navy-blue car, to contact the department at 618-344-2131, according to RiverBender. Tips can also be reported in person at Collinsville police headquarters.
