Pennsylvania mom places infant son on farebox of bus, asks driver to call police and walks away in tears as 'she can't take care'
A 26-year-old mother has reportedly been charged after leaving her one-month-old baby on a bus. The woman, Ashley Walters, was arrested after she boarded a bus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, over the weekend and handed her baby to the driver before turning around and walking away.
The incident occurred on October 26 at the bus stop near the intersection of Guetter and Broad streets. Walters, according to the criminal complaint, approached Bus #12-93 carrying her baby boy and placed him on the farebox, telling the driver to "call the police and that this was her son that she can't take care of", according to WPVI-TV.
She reportedly walked away in tears and the authorities later found her just a few hundred yards away at 85 West Broad Street based on the description provided by the driver. According to police officers, the baby was wearing a diaper and was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg for a medical evaluation.
Pennsylvania has a Safe Haven Law, which allows parents to drop off babies 28 days or younger at a hospital or police precinct. One rider who was present on the bus at the time of the incident, while speaking to the outlet, said the woman should not face any consequences for her actions.
"Personally, I think you should take it to the right authority, but in the same respects, taking it to a bus driver they can make sure the baby is taken care of", Darrell Phillips of Bethlehem said.
Walters, however, was charged by the authorities with child endangerment for abandoning the baby and not making the appropriate arrangements to ensure his care and safety. Reports state that Walters was sent to Northampton County Prison in lieu of 10 percent of $10,000 bail.