Newborn baby found dead in ditch had been there for hours, not days, Harris County investigators say

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- Investigators are still working to uncover who left a newborn baby found dead near the Hardy Toll Road in north Harris County on Tuesday.

ABC13 learned more about the tragedy Wednesday, which seems to be seeing an uptick in the area. This is the sixth baby in two months to be found abandoned around Harris County, something investigators say is now an "epidemic."

SEE ALSO: Newborn baby found dead in back of a garbage truck in NW Harris Co., HCSO says

A dead newborn baby boy was found in the back of a garbage truck on Fountaincrest in northwest Harris County Wednesday, the sheriff's office said.

In this latest case, a lawn crew found the newborn baby at about 2 p.m. dead in a steep ditch, face down, and wrapped in a blanket on Henry Road, not far from Bush Airport.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said the baby was African American, though deputies don't know the baby's exact age or if it was a girl or boy.

HCSO believes the baby had been there for hours and not days. It remains unclear if the baby was alive when it was left behind.

This story is especially painful for a Houston woman who was an abandoned baby 40 years ago.

Leigha Curry was found behind Williams Middle School in northwest Houston in 1982. She told ABC13 she isn't angry at her mother's choice but instead wants to spread awareness, acknowledging some mothers in tough spots need serious help.

READ MORE: Houston woman abandoned 40 years ago says bigger conversation needed after 2 babies found days apart

Leigha Curry was abandoned 40 years ago. After two babies were found within days of each other, she is urging a bigger conversation is needed.

"I can't imagine how she feels, carrying this baby, feeling a bond and connection, and you walk away, and then I know you hear on the news that the baby died," Curry said. "That's a trauma (the mother will) have to live with for the rest of her life."

Curry said she wants to see more education and conversations with young men and women about options.

"Do we need to have churches? Do we need to have more hospitals? The YMCA? We need to have more places they can go to bring their babies if they're uncomfortable or if they feel like they have no way out," she said.

In the coming days, the medical examiner should know more about how this baby died, which could lead investigators to the mother.

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