A homeless Hawaiian woman gave birth on the sidewalk — then allegedly dragged her newborn daughter by the umbilical cord into the street.
Police and firefighters responded to a report that a woman had given birth at Mamo and Keawe streets in downtown Hilo about 5:15 Tuesday afternoon, the Hawaii Tribune-Herald reported.
Shocked witnesses said the woman, identified as 41-year-old Ashley Aileen Maile Lum, began dragging the baby by the umbilical cord before the little girl broke free from her mother and Lum ran away.
First responders found the baby still tied to a cord on the sidewalk, according to the outlet.
“It was right in front of the Pineapple Restaurant, so there were a lot of people who could witness the behavior and everything that was going on,” police Capt. Rio Amon-Wilkins told the Tribune-Herald.
Medical staff cut the umbilical cord and administered aid to the baby, who was breathing but not moving. He was rushed to Hilo Medical Center by ambulance.
“Thankfully, the baby’s life was saved. According to the pediatrician that night at the hospital, he was fine,” Amon-Wilkins told the newspaper.
Ashley Aileen Maile Lum dragged her baby by the umbilical cord, police said. Medical staff cut the umbilical cord and administered aid to the baby, who was breathing but not moving. KITV
He added that the document estimated Lum’s gestational age “to be somewhere in the ballpark of 38 weeks, so [the baby] definitely viable.”
Once Lum was separated from her son, she began to leave the scene, officials said.
She was later arrested on suspicion of child abandonment but was also taken to hospital for treatment and observation.
Lum was later released without charge pending further investigation because he was hospitalized, the Tribune-Herald reported.
The mother, who has a minor criminal record and has never been convicted of a crime, had lived for years in the downtown area, where she was seen yelling at passing cars and pedestrians, according to the outlet.
“In my almost 25 years, I have never seen a case like this,” said a local police captain. KITV
Amon-Wilkins said police will turn over the results of their investigation to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for possible criminal charges.
“In my almost 25 years, I’ve never seen a case like this,” he told the Tribune-Herald.
The baby was determined to be in good condition and “was transferred to the custody of Child Welfare Services,” police said.
Witnesses to the incident are asked to call the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
