Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Baby India: Newborn baby found in plastic bag in woods

Infant is 'thriving' and in the care of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Wednesday 26 June 2019 08:42 BST
Comments
Officers rescue newborn baby tied up in plastic bag

A sheriff’s office has released part of a body-cam video from the night an officer rescued a newborn baby girl who was found abandoned and wrapped in a plastic bag earlier this month.

According to the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office in Georgia, the hope is that the video will lead to credible information regarding the identity of the infant, who was found on 6 June.

“The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to aggressively investigate and to follow leads regarding Baby India,” the department wrote on Facebook. “As of today, we are still receiving tips from across the country on the possible identity of Baby India."

In the video, the officer can be seen ripping open a plastic bag to uncover a crying baby whose umbilical cord is still attached.

The infant, who authorities named India, can later be seen wrapping its hand around the finger of one of the deputies on the scene.

After performing first aid, the infant was taken to the hospital.

According to the family who’d originally reported to police what sounded like a crying baby near their home in Forsyth County, finding the child was an “act of God”.

Speaking to WSBTV’s Channel 2, Alan Ragatz said his teenage daughters were the ones who’d first heard the baby’s cries.

After convincing their father that what they had heard wasn’t the noises of an animal, the family ventured into the woods, where they found a “poor little baby wrapped in a plastic bag” and called 911.

“She was alive. She was crying, so we figured that was a good sign,” Ragatz recalled. “Could have been worse. The credit goes to my girls. They were the ones sticking with it.”

According to the sheriff’s office, the baby is “thriving” and is in the care of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services.

Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events

The office also asked that anyone with information pertaining to Baby India call the tip line at 770-888-7308.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in