Harris County Precinct 2 Constable's Office deputies were called to the Park Center Apartments in the 12300 block Beamer Road near Olivewood around 10am.
According to investigators, a resident of the apartment complex found the newborn and called 911. He was apparently wrapped in a T-shirt and wedged between the dumpster and the fence behind it.
The baby was taken to the hospital and it appears he will be OK.
Deputies questioned residents in the complex trying to identify the mother, but they have no leads. It's unknown how long the child was there before he was discovered.
Neighbors say it's odd because there are so many people coming and going around here. None of them saw or heard anything suspicious.
"Newborns when they're wrapped and swaddled, they feel comfortable because all they do is eat and sleep, so I guess the baby was sleeping," neighbor Ann Jacobs said.
A spokesperson for Child Protective Services tells us the baby is a full-term Caucasian boy. He weighs 7 pounds 7 ounces. He was having a little bit of trouble breathing, but there were no signs of heat-related issues.
An emergency hearing is planned for Monday where CPS will inform the court that they have taken custody of the child. If no family members are located, the baby will go to a foster home and will later be up for adoption.
This is at least the second time this year a child has been abandoned near an apartment building. Back in February, Baby Chloe was found inside a plastic bag near a building in northwest Harris County.
Chloe was only two days old and still had her umbilical cord attached when a woman walking a dog found her. Deputies were never able to locate Chloe's parents, and a judge terminated their parental rights. Her foster parents have since applied to adopt her.
A lot of people are wondering why anyone would abandon their child in an unsafe place instead of taking advantage of Texas' Safe Haven Law, which allows parents to drop off their child within 60 days of birth at designated places like hospitals and fire stations -- with no questions asked. The law only requires that the baby be given directly to a person and not left alone. As long as the child has not been abused, the parent will not be prosecuted.
This case remains under investigation. Please stay with Eyewitness News and abc13.com for updates as we continue following this developing story.
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