COLUMBUS, Ga. (WDNews) — A newborn baby boy was found alive inside a dumpster behind the Budgetel Inn on Victory Drive in Columbus after someone nearby heard his cries shortly before 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Police said the infant was rushed to Piedmont Columbus Regional Hospital and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. His current condition has not been publicly released. The Columbus Police Department’s Special Victims Unit is leading the investigation and is working with Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services to secure the child’s welfare and determine the next steps for his care.
Authorities stressed that a dumpster is not a safe or legal place to abandon a newborn. Georgia’s Safe Place for Newborns Act allows parents to anonymously surrender infants up to 30 days old at hospitals, police stations, and fire stations without facing criminal charges.
Officials continue to investigate how the baby ended up in the dumpster and what will happen next in his care. The case has drawn attention to safe haven laws designed to protect infants and provide options for parents in crisis.
