TAIPEI (Taiwan News) -- A Taiwanese man playing Pokemon early this morning, stumbled upon a newborn baby placed in a box, by what is believed to be a foreign migrant worker couple in New Taipei City, reported Apple Daily.
At 12:00 a.m. this morning, a 56-year-old man surnamed Chen (陳) was riding his bicycle and hunting Pokemon in New Taipei City's Zhonghe District, when he suddenly stumbled upon a cardboard box that was shaking on a sidewalk next to a construction site. Chen initially thought that someone had abandoned a pet, but when he opened it, he discovered that there was a baby inside and called the police immediately.
When police arrived on the scene, they found that the box contained a newborn baby girl and her body temperature was slightly low, as she was only wrapped in a thin layer of clothing inside the cardboard container. Police said that she was only wrapped in a towel and a light jacket, and her umbilical cord had not been removed.
Fortunately, the girl's vital signs were normal, but due to her low temperature, she was rushed to Shuangho Hospital for treatment.
After police checked footage from nearby surveillance cameras, they saw a couple whom they suspect are two foreign migrant workers leaving the baby on the spot where she was found. Police are now tracing their movements to arrest them for child abandonment.
Newborn found in box (left). (Photos from Facebook)
Chen then described his discovery of the newborn on the Taiwanese online forum PTT: "My friends and I were hunting for Pokemon in the park when I was suddenly surprised to see a box moving in the grass next to the road. Out of curiosity, I opened it. Inside, I immediately saw a baby girl with no clothes!" Chen then included photos of the baby inside the box and the thin layer of discarded clothing covering her.
In response to the images, one netizen wrote, "It seems like she is dying inside the cardboard box covered with some scant clothes on her body, and it appears that the umbilical cord has still not been removed." A netizen angrily criticized the parents, by saying, "In this kind of weather, it looks like they were trying to have her freeze to death. Good thing there were not any wild dogs around. How could you do such an immoral thing? I xxxx your family!"
Jacket used to cover baby. (New Taipei City Police Department photo)
Another netizen said, "The case has already been reported to the police and the child has been sent to the hospital." The netizen then told other PTT members to feel at ease as the child is "now safe and sound" and thanked them for posting photos of the incident.
When interviewed by Apple Daily, Chen said that when he opened the box, he found that the baby was only wrapped in a green towel and a black jacket. He said the baby appeared to be in good condition and did not cry.
Chen said it was fortunate that the temperatures were not very low today. He suggested that if the weather had been cold and rainy, like it had been over the previous few days, the baby would have been in even more danger.
Garment found inside of box. (New Taipei City Police Department photo)
Chen then denounced the parents as being evil and their act depraved.
When police checked surveillance footage from cameras along the road where the baby was found, they said they spotted a man and a woman dropping the box off. One of the suspects was wearing a pink jacket, while the other wore a blue jacket.
The two were first spotted riding bicycles at 6 p.m. on Tuesday night (March 26). Police say they rode their bicycles from Sanmin Road in Banqiao District to the corner of Guanhuan Road and Zhongyuan Street in Zhonghe District. At 7 p.m., the couple left the box with the baby girl inside on the sidewalk next to Zhongyuan 2nd Street.
Moment couple was seen leaving box. (New Taipei City Police Department photo)
Currently, police suspect that the parents might be foreign migrant workers and they will continue to pinpoint their location to apprehend them on charges of child abandonment.
