Mother of Baby Abandoned In Church Nativity Scene Found

A mother who left her newborn baby in a manger in a nativity scene in a NY church on Monday has been found and will not be charged, officials say.

The child, nicknamed ‘Baby Jesus, ‘ was discovered wrapped in towels and with the umbilical cord still attached in the indoor nativity scene at the Holy Child Jesus Church in the Richmond Hill section of Queens on Monday.

NY state law allows for newborns to be anonymously surrendered at safe havens, which includes churches, police stations, firehouses and hospitals, as long as the infant is given to an appropriate person.

His mother was tracked down by police but she will face no charges, said Richard Brown, district attorney, because she left him in a place where he would be found quickly.

Emergency crews took the newborn to a local hospital, where he was in good health, police said.

Surveillance video footage reportedly showed a woman carrying the baby into the church and then leaving, just days before America celebrates its Thanksgiving holiday.

Bishop Octavio Cisneros said a sacristan at the church heard crying from the manger that was being readied for Christmas. “He was next to the Virgin (Mary)”, Mr Jose told the New York Daily News.

The baby found inside Holy Child Jesus Church. He still had his umbilical cord. Parish vicar Christopher Heanue said the baby weighed five pounds, two ounces (2.3 kilos) and measured 17 inches (43 centimeters).

Parish priest Christopher Heanue said the church would love to see the baby stay in the community.

Though the “Safe Haven” law was on the woman’s side, the “Abandoned Infant Protection Act” mandates that the baby needs to be left with someone or for authorities to be called immediately, reported USA Today.

The church has been flooded with offers from families who want to adopt the baby.