Newborn Baby Saved by Good Samaritans and EMS in Chelsea, Mother Arrested

A newborn baby boy was saved after he was found abandoned in the pre-dawn hours of July 11 with its umbilical cord still attached to his body outside a luxury Chelsea apartment building steps away from the High Line.

A 37-year-old woman who lives in a nearby homeless shelter was later identified as the mother and arrested at Bellevue Hospital in the same hospital where EMTs had rushed the infant hours earlier.

Quick thinking by Good Samaritans, including a doorman who was only in his second day on the job, saved the baby’s life. The young doorman was on the overnight shift of a nearby apartment building when he stepped outside and heard an infant crying. He found the baby lying on the sidewalk, naked and wrapped in a blanket outside the 515 W. 23rd St. around 3:20 a.m, according to police.

Another gentleman, a homeless man in a wheelchair, who’s lived in the neighborhood for decades, immediately alerted the nearby FDNY EMS Station 7. According to police and sources, the EMTs quickly took the child to the station for initial care before he was transported to Bellevue Hospital. The child was conscious and alert and showed no visible injuries, according to police.

Ayata Swan, who was later identified as the mother was arrested and charged with child abandonment. Sources say she lives at the Latham Hotel shelter at 4 E. 28th St., five blocks from where she allegedly abandoned her baby. It was not immediately known the location where she had given birth.

A super of the building next door, Cedric Fraser told Chelsea News that he spoke to the doorman who found the infant the next day and the doorman was still visibly disturbed by the incident.

“He was a kid, maybe 22 years old or something and it was only his second day of work,” Fraser recounted. “He told me that when he came out of the building, he saw a clump of something on the sidewalk and heard the baby crying.”

“He kept repeating, ‘I’ve never seen anything like this before’,” said Fraser who calmed him down.

Another doorman at a nearby building, who only wanted to be identified as Anthony B. said he couldn’t believe that something like this would happen in the neighborhood.

“My mother caught it on the news and when she told me that the incident happened at 515 West 23rd St, I was so shocked because that’s near my workplace.”

He continued, “I mean you hear of these things happening but one wouldn’t expect it to happen in this neighborhood because it’s so affluent, but then again this is New York City,” said Anthony to Chelsea News.

FDNY officials addressed the incident during an afternoon press conference. EMT Mia Chin recounted how a man approached her ambulance after 3 a.m.. and informed her and her partner, Patrick Feimer, about the abandoned newborn.

“We just fell back on our training. We relied on what the fire department has taught us time and time again, and we immediately brought the infant to our desk lieutenant and waited for medics to transport the child to Bellevue,” said Chin.

Chin added that she was relieved when she approached the baby and he was responsive.

“He was crying, cooing, and waving, and I felt immense relief knowing the child was alive and appeared unharmed,” Chin said.

Feimer added, “Getting a knock on the window like that, you don’t know what you’re going to walk into, so we just ran over and tried to assess the situation, and when we saw the newborn that’s when you kind of snap into action.”

Despite both EMTs downplaying their actions as simply part of their job, FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh commended their swift and effective response.

Residents from the neighborhood were horrified about the incident and expressed their concern.

Elena, a retired businesswoman who lives right across the building where the incident took place told Chelsea News she first heard the incident on the TV but was shocked to learn that it happened right next to where she lives.

“I was like OMG, what and then I headed out to the area and it was filled with press and TV.”

Elena continued, “It’s just such a tragic thing. This usually does not happen because New York has a law where if you don’t want a baby, you can leave it at a hospital or police station, etc, but she didn’t do that. She left him on the streets”.

“I just hope she’s okay and the baby is okay, she [the mother] obviously has problems.”

It is not clear how long the baby was on the sidewalk before he was found.

New York’s Safe Haven Law, also known as the Abandoned Infant Protection Act, allows parents to safely and legally relinquish their newborns up to 30 days old without facing criminal charges. Parents can leave the infant at designated safe locations such as hospitals, police stations, fire stations, or with any responsible adult. The law ensures the infant is unharmed and safe, and the parent can remain anonymous. The primary goal is to prevent unsafe abandonment and ensure the newborn receives proper care.