Md. Police Officer A Hero After Saving Infant's Life
SILVER SPRING, Md. (WJZ) -- A Maryland police officer is being called a hero after saving an infant's life. It happened in Montgomery County, where a woman was found holding her baby inside of a car.
Jessica Kartalija with details.
It was just after 10 p.m. Thursday when a shopper led police to a parked car at the White Oak Shopping Center in Montgomery County.
"A citizen approached my vehicle and alerted me that a lady was crying off in the distance--hysterically," said Officer David Reed, Montgomery County Police Department.
Officer Reed discovered a 21-year-old woman in the passenger seat of a car. When he got a closer look, he realized she was holding a baby tightly to her chest.
"I grabbed the child from her. Soon as I had the child in my arms--the child was wrapped up in a very thick fleece blanket--the baby's head rolled back, eyes kind of rolled back in the baby's head," said Reed.
Officer Reed immediately began giving the one-month-old first aid.
"I did a sternum rub on the chest, a couple of quick compressions, stroked the back of the baby between the shoulder blades. And at that time, the baby took a very deep breathe and began to cry," he said.
A father of two children himself, Officer Reed says the concerned citizen is the real hero.
"I am very thankful for the citizen that came forward who saw something, said something," he said. "Things could have been very bad, and this could have been a whole total different press conference."
The circumstances surrounding the incident are now part of a criminal investigation.
"Our Special Victims Investigation Division, Child Protective Services and the State's Attorney's Office are coordinating and communicating about the circumstances of this case," said Captain P.R. Starks, Montgomery County Police Department.
Police say the baby's mother is still in an area hospital with unknown injuries.
No one has been charged in relation to the incident.