Newborn abandoned in the cold outside of Massachusetts home, police say

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WBZ) - Police in Massachusetts are looking for a mom who allegedly left her newborn outside in the cold for two days.

Juliannys Aviles came home and unexpectedly found a helpless baby boy on her doorstep, tucked in a car seat, cold and crying.

“It was a blessing that he was still alive. It was a blessing. It was meant for me to find him,” she said.

The newborn was left outside in the frigid cold for two days.

Police said they believe that the baby was abandoned from Friday night until Sunday evening when the family got back from their weekend getaway in Boston.

“His face was so swollen. His feet were red and super swollen. His whole body was cracked. His hands were cracked. He needed the medical attention,” Aviles said.

Her husband ran to get help from their neighbor, Marilyn Whyte.

“I looked at the baby’s eyes. All you could see was they were swollen from crying so much. It was just so devastating. It just broke my heart into pieces,” she said.

The baby boy was taken to Baystate Medical Center, where he is still recovering.

As police look for his mother, advocates say under the state’s Safe Haven Act, desperate parents can leave their newborns at a fire station or at the hospital without facing criminal prosecution.

“You don’t have to give any information. It might make them more comfortable to bring the baby and not be scared,” advocate Serenity Jackson said.

Those who helped save the baby’s life want answers.

“I just don’t understand what type of mother would do such a thing. That’s what breaks my heart,” Whyte said.

The Aviles family said they hope to foster the baby they helped.

“We saved his life. He was meant for us. He was meant to be with us,” Aviles said.

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