A 24-year-old Indiana mother has been charged with neglect of a dependent after police say she abandoned her newborn son behind a strip mall, leaving the infant strapped in his car seat alongside a handwritten note that read, "I am unable to keep him, needs a good family."
Background
According to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, officers responded to the 5400 block of East Thompson Road shortly before 7 p.m. on Aug. 24 after receiving a report of an infant being abandoned at a local shopping center. When detectives arrived on scene, they determined the baby had been "intentionally left at the location."
Witnesses told police they observed a woman carrying a car seat across the shopping center parking lot before returning moments later without it. One witness reported that the woman appeared to hesitate, as if debating whether to return for the child.
The witness and his wife subsequently went behind the shopping center, where they discovered the infant still secured in his car seat. The couple estimated the baby had been alone for approximately 15 minutes before they found him.
The Investigation
Medical personnel transported the infant to Riley Hospital for Children, where staff identified no visible signs of trauma. The Indiana Department of Child Services subsequently took custody of the child.
Investigators recovered a handwritten note at the scene containing Faith Argo's name, the baby's name, a partial phone number, and an address. The note included the line: "I am unable to keep him, needs a good family."
Police reviewed surveillance footage confirming a woman had carried a car seat to the shopping center and returned shortly afterward without it. Using this footage in conjunction with information obtained from child welfare records, investigators identified Argo as the alleged mother.
Detectives arrested Argo on Aug. 26 — two days after the infant was discovered. When questioned by police, Argo allegedly admitted to leaving her baby behind the mall, telling investigators she had given birth on Aug. 5 but struggled to care for him in the following weeks.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Argo and the newborn had been staying at a church homeless shelter before moving to a friend's couch. She reportedly told detectives she knew abandoning the baby was wrong but felt unable to care for her son.
Argo stated she had considered putting the child up for adoption and had researched Indiana's Safe Haven Law options but claimed she lacked transportation to reach a designated Safe Haven box location.
Key Takeaways
- Faith Argo, 24, has been charged with one count of neglect of a dependent — abandonment or cruel confinement of a dependent.
- The infant was found uninjured behind the shopping center and taken to Riley Hospital for Children.
- Argo allegedly admitted to police that she left her baby at the location after struggling to care for him following his birth.
- She reportedly told investigators she had researched Indiana's Safe Haven Law but did not have transportation to reach a designated surrender location.
What's Next
Argo is scheduled to appear in court for an omnibus hearing on Nov. 4, according to court records. The investigation remains ongoing as child welfare officials continue their involvement with the infant, who remains in state custody.