Homeless woman arrested after infant found abandoned at shopping center

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A 24-year-old woman faces preliminary felony charges after an infant was found abandoned Monday night behind the East Thompson Shopping Center on the city’s southeast side, Indianapolis police said Wednesday afternoon.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department identified the woman as Faith Argo. Police report Argo is homeless and faces a preliminary charge of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury, a mid-level felony. Formal charges have not yet been filed.

Officers went at 7 p.m. Monday to the shopping center in the 5400 block of East Thompson Road, near Emerson Avenue, for a report regarding the child’s safety. Investigators believe the baby was left behind the building on purpose. Although police said Tuesday that the infant appeared uninjured, emergency responders took the child to a local hospital for evaluation. IMPD on Wednesday declined to say whether the child was injured.

The discovery marks the second time police found an abandoned infant in Indianapolis in a month. On July 24, officers found another baby in a wooded area on the city’s east side.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Officer Tommy Thompson said Tuesday that help is available 24 hours a day for families in crisis. He said the department can help families in crisis find housing, financial support, or protection orders.

Indiana’s Safe Haven Law allows parents to leave a newborn at any hospital, fire station, or police station anonymously without fear of prosecution, as long as the child is unharmed. Safe Haven baby boxes are also available at designated emergency locations throughout the city.

Thompson encouraged people to use the anonymous Safe Haven drop boxes at hospitals and fire stations to avoid a criminal investigation.

Once a baby is surrendered, medical staff examine the infant before the Indiana Department of Child Services takes the child into protective custody. The department then places the child with a caregiver or adoptive family.

Thompson said the department wants to prevent people from leaving defenseless children in dangerous areas like woods or behind buildings, which can lead to criminal charges.

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