A 2-Year-Old Boy Was Abandoned At A Goodwill

Safe-haven laws are statutes in the United States that decriminalize the abandoning of an infant so that the child can become a ward of the state. Though given the circumstances, the statues can be devastating, they ultimately are put into action for the safety and well-being of a child. These laws have requirements, of course. The laws vary by state but often require designated private persons and places of unharmed infants. Safe-haven surrender areas typically include police stations, hospitals, and fire stations. Not Goodwills.

Despite this, two guardians of a child made the decision to abandon a 2-year-old boy at a Goodwill store. They left him with nothing but a bag of clothes and a note has spurned an investigation.

Police in Southaven, Mississippi were called to a Goodwill after a 2-year-old boy was dropped off at its location.

According to a Facebook post from Southaven Police Chief Macon Moore, the boy was left with only a bag of clothing and a note by a man wearing black jogging pants and a black cowboy hat.

Surveillance video captured images of a male and female associated with the child and the vehicle they were driving at the time that he was abandoned.

The man and woman were seen driving together in the red vehicle when the boy was abandoned. Southaven police officers apprehended one of the suspects at around 3:30 p.m. after receiving various tips after the police reached out to the public for information.

The boy was too young to know his name or the names of his parents and an employee at the Goodwill store told news station WREG-TV in an interview that the man had said “the child’s mother couldn’t care for him” before leaving the premise.

The note left with the toddler read: “child abandoned … no phone number for mom.”

“The child wasn’t dressed properly for how cold it was,” the Goodwill employee told WREG “He was in good spirits. He was laughing, playing with toys, and eating food until police arrived on the scene. He was also able to hold up two fingers when asked how old he was.”

Now, the suspect is in custody and there is an investigation is underway. “There are three different agencies currently working this case,” Moore told CNN in a statement.

Moor told CNN that there are other suspects potentially involved in the case. Fortunately, the boy “is in good spirits and will be reunited with family when Child Protective Services ‘determines it proper.'”

“I would like to thank all of the citizens who showed concern for the child, rest assured he is well,” Moore said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Thank you to all of the citizens who offered tips regarding the suspects in this case. The cooperation from the community and a unified effort from law Enforcement led to the speedy apprehension of suspects.”