A New Jersey woman who ordered some Mexican food was delivered something else instead — a newborn baby.
via: ABC 7
The entire incident at the El Patron restaurant was captured on surveillance video.
The 14-year-old mother walked up to the counter and claimed she found the infant girl.
Restaurant owner Frankie Aguilar said the teen handed the baby to a good Samaritan and ran away.
Alease Scott and her boyfriend Walter Cocca were eating lunch when the teen asked for help.
Scott didn’t hesitate.
“I said do you mind if I check the baby’s vitals, she readily handed the baby over to me so my focus went right onto the baby,” Scott said.
The teen mother walked out leaving Scott with the newborn girl who still had a portion of the umbilical cord attached. Scott and her boyfriend could tell the baby was having trouble breathing.
Police were called and quickly responded with medical gear and oxygen.
Fortunately, Scott is trained in CPR and first aid.
“Once I applied the oxygen mask to the baby, all of a sudden we heard the most beautiful cry and the baby started moving, she slightly opened up her eyes and then she closed her eyes but the sweetest thing was when she got hungry and she was trying to suckle on the oxygen mask so we knew she was OK after that,” Scott said.
Police found the teen mother and said both she and the baby are doing well.
The child will be put up for adoption, and at this point, the 14-year-old is not facing charges.
The family owned business said they were happy the teenage mom decided to go to their restaurant for help.
“And hopefully we as a society become better at just helping one another, especially after COVID,” Aguilar said.
While the time limit varies from state to state, all 50 have safe haven laws, which allow parents to surrender newborns 30 days and younger at police stations, fire stations or hospitals anonymously, no questions asked.
The baby will now be put up for adoption; but she already has elective godparents in Scott and Cocca, who said they would love to stay in contact with her.
