Baby found strapped in stroller in hotel days after mom fatally overdosed, OR cops say
A 6-month-old baby was found strapped in his stroller alone in an Oregon hotel room days after his mother died of “an apparent overdose,” police said.
The baby boy was found unresponsive in a Quality Inn hotel room in Springfield around 7 p.m. March 7, the Springfield Police Department said in a news release.
His 28-year-old mother died from a suspected overdose, and the baby was left in his stroller for four days, police said.
An Oregon Department of Human Services worker tried to contact the mother at the hotel but couldn’t get into the room so they called the police.
When police entered the room, they found the mother dead with a “non-criminal” amount of heroin, police said.
The child was unresponsive, malnourished, dehydrated and had “severe” diaper rash, police said.
Medical responders took the child to a hospital where he was then transferred to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital for “life-saving treatment,” police said.
The baby’s condition has improved and the hospital is working to release him, according to police.
“SPD is crediting the DHS employee who followed up after-hours that evening for saving the child’s life,” police said.
Springfield is about 5 miles east of Eugene.
This story was originally published March 9, 2022 at 11:17 AM with the headline "Baby found strapped in stroller in hotel days after mom fatally overdosed, OR cops say."
