Local

Deputies seek to identify parents of newborn left on Orange County patio

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A newborn baby boy was found abandoned Friday morning on the back porch of one of the apartments at the Buena Vista Point complex on Apopka-Vineland Road, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said.

Deputies are now searching for the infant’s parents, but they’re having trouble getting any information.

The baby was found at about 8:40 a.m., and was taken to Winnie Palmer Hospital, where he is in stable condition.

A resident was coming home from work and found the whimpering baby as he walked down the end of the hallway, officers said.

“It's this child's birthday today and it’s quite a way to come into this world,” said Jane Watrel of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

The resident’s roommate called 911. The roommate said she told detectives she'd gone to bed at about 2 a.m. and did not hear a baby.

“Turns out, this child was just hours old, wrapped in a blanket and left on a love seat on the back porch of this apartment,” said Watrel.

Other residents said they were shocked.

“It's a little saddening, tugs at the heart strings, because you don't want to see children just left out in the open,’ said resident Anthony Mare. “If the parents are watching right now, feel free to come forward. It’s going to be bad right now, but it’ll get better in the long run.”

Deputies said there's no security video and they haven't found anyone who saw or heard anything between the hours of 2 a.m. and 8:40 a.m.

Orange County detectives are working to find the parents of the baby.

“We just want to talk to them. We're not going to talk about charges or anything of that sort. We just want the parents, find out what happened,” Watrel said.

Investigators said there is a Safe Haven law in Florida where a child can be left, no questions asked.