A 36-year-old Clark County woman is facing felony charges after prosecutors say a newborn girl was found alone in a van in a Vancouver apartment parking lot on May 12, with the placenta still attached. The infant was taken to a hospital and is now in Child Protective Services custody while investigators keep digging into what happened.
How investigators say it happened
According to a probable-cause document, Vancouver police were called to the Merriweather Apartments parking lot on May 12 and found the newborn inside a Ford Econoline van. Blood and afterbirth inside the vehicle indicated the baby had been delivered there, court records state.
Investigators say surveillance video shows the woman exiting the van after the birth and later being found nearby. Officers allege the infant was left unattended for roughly 48 minutes before anyone checked the vehicle. Prosecutors have since filed multiple felony counts in Clark County Superior Court, according to KPTV.
Medical condition and neonatal withdrawal
Newborns exposed to opioids in utero can develop neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), a withdrawal disorder that can include tremors, feeding difficulties and breathing problems. Treatment varies but often requires close monitoring and, in some cases, medication. Laboratory testing for substances such as methamphetamine or fentanyl can take days to complete.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides guidance on recognizing and managing NAS and other opioid-exposure issues in infants. CDC.
Charges and state law
Prosecutors have charged the woman with second-degree abandonment of a dependent person, endangerment with a controlled substance and second-degree criminal mistreatment, and marked the offenses as domestic-violence crimes in the filing.
Under Washington law, endangerment with a controlled substance makes it a felony to knowingly permit a child or dependent person to be exposed to certain illegal drugs, and criminal-mistreatment statutes cover reckless or negligent withholding of a dependent's basic necessities. Both can carry felony penalties depending on the circumstances. The endangerment statute is detailed in Washington law at RCW 9A.42.100. RCW 9A.42.100.
Prosecutors' actions and next steps
In seeking an arrest warrant, prosecutors cited the woman's prior criminal history, including 26 prior warrants and active misdemeanor warrants, according to the probable-cause filing. Court records indicate both the woman and the infant were taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver. The woman was later being held on a mental-health hold at a behavioral facility in Marysville, while the infant remains in CPS custody as testing and the investigation continue, according to online information from PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center.
The case is set to move forward in Clark County Superior Court while authorities await test results and gather additional evidence. Investigators say the inquiry remains active, and Child Protective Services continues to oversee the baby's care.
