A Cry From the Manger: Newborn Found in New York Church's Nativity Scene

NEW YORK - It was just a regular Monday afternoon when cries from the Christmas nativity scene's manger echoed througout the church, shocking the custodian. A real-life newborn baby, with the umbilical cord still attached was found there. Currently, authorities are already searching for the person who left the child there.

The custodian of the Holy Child of Jesus Church in the Richmond Hill section of Queens recalls that it was around 11:30 AM when he left the place empty to get his lunch. But, shortly after he returned, no one else was around but he can hear a baby's cry.

As per CBS News, police reports reveals that after hearing the sound,  the custodian then went to the nativity scene in the front of the church and there he saw a newborn baby still wrapped in towels laying in the manger. It was reported that authorities have estimated that the baby boy was about four to five hours old when he was found.

Christopher Heanue, the church's resident pastor have informed the public through their Facebook page that the baby was a boy and weighed a little more than 5 pounds.

Moments after the incident happened, the child was immediately rushed to Jamaica Hospital for further medication and observation, and was later found to be healthy and in stable condition.

It was known that in New York, a lay which is known as the safe haven law, states that a newborn can be left anonymously at a church, hospital, police or fire station without being prosecuted. On the other hand, under the Abandoned Infant Protection Act, it requires the orphan child be left with someone or for authorities to be called immediately.

Apparently, according to police reports, it didn't happen in this case, which actually led investigators to begin their search for the person who left the child at the church.

On Tuesday the following day, authorities were already starting to investigate around the neighborhood as they also try to look for a possible recording that the police can use through the surveillance cameras that were situated around the area. Police were also on the process of questioning several witnesses In order to track down the baby's mother.

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