Mother of Newborn Abandoned in Ellisville Located

Police said the mother of a newborn boy who was found early Thurday left outside of an Ellisville home has been located.

Ellisville Police Sgt. Nancy Walker said the 19 year-old woman, who resides in St. Louis County, apparently checked in to a second hospital sometime after giving birth to the newborn boy at a different facility.

“Most likely, we’ll present a report to the (St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office) and let the P.A. decide if we should issue a warrant of if charges should be brought against her,” Walker said. “But like I said, they’re still conducting the investigation.”

Walker said she didn’t know of any reasons why the case would not be presented to the prosecuting attorney’s office. However, Walker said that as of Thursday evening, detectives still were at the hospital interviewing the child’s mother. Walker added that the mother was being cooperative and in stable condition.

Walker said family services indicated that the newborn, who was hospitalized at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, also is doing well.

"They’re still working to raise is internal temperatures but everything else is normal so he’s doing real well.”

Walker said that prior to the baby's discovery, which happened around 7:45 a.m. Thursday, the child appeared to have been left outside for approximately 2 hours. Police did not provide an estimate on the child's time of birth or provide a legal name.

Police said the newborn boy had blonde hair and blue eyes, and had been knicknamed "Baby Chuck" in honor of Officer Chuck Kraus, the Ellisville policeman who was dispatched to the scene where the baby was found.

Prior to Kraus' encounter with the newborn, his department was contacted and informed that "a group of puppies wrapped in a towel" were left on a resident's lawn. After following up on the call shortly before 8 a.m., Kraus, said he was shocked by the discovery.

"It’s pretty distinct when you hear a baby cry, so I took the towel off the child and discovered it was an infant," Kraus said. “It’s one of those things where they say always expect the unexpected, but I was still surprised."

"When I heard it cry, there was that pit in the bottom of my stomach and my stomach started to turn right away … I just wanted to make sure the baby was safe.”

Kraus, 26, who has been with the Ellisville Police Department for one year, said it was difficult to not be somewhat saddened by Thursday's incident.

Kraus said the neighbor, a senior citizen who first identified the towels the newborn was wrapped in, also was affected by the discovery.

“I know she was shocked and kind of disheartened a little that this happened at her house. I know it was probably a little uneasy for her.”

And the nickname 'Baby Chuck'?

“It’s one of those things that they’re teasing me about a little and that’s fine," Kraus said. "It’s a little bit of an honor. That’s how I like to think of it.”