After a baby was found dead in a Fort Worth dumpster, officials promote "safe haven" baby boxes
Twenty-three-year-old Avia Cantrell is now charged with capital murder, while a man believed to be her boyfriend, 26-year-old Camron Baker, is charged with abuse of a corpse.
According to court documents, Cantrell admitted to leaving her newborn daughter face down in bathwater for about 30 minutes.
The newborn was found dead near a dumpster outside a Fort Worth motel late Sunday night.
"It's unfortunate that the circumstances of that event happened," McLendon-Chisholm Fire Chief Eddie Stough said.
Years ago, he responded to a similar incident.
"It's almost surreal... and police, fire and EMS, we tend to disassociate in order to keep our mental clarity," he said. "It's very difficult to do that when a child is involved... and the circumstances with the children that I have dealt with in the past, it was atrocious."
Installing Rockwall County's first Safe Haven Baby Box at the McLendon-Chisholm Fire Department was a priority for Stough. It's been here since January, giving parents a way to anonymously surrender a newborn.
"We would much rather see that than us responding to a circumstance like what just happened," he said.
After a baby is surrendered, a parent has 60 seconds to leave before an alarm sounds. There are no cameras outside, allowing them to remain anonymous.
"It notifies the fire department staff, EMS staff, which is Rockwall EMS," Stough said. "It also notifies CPS. At no point does it notify law enforcement."
Under Texas' Baby Moses Law, parents can safely surrender an unharmed baby 60 days old or younger to staff at designated locations, including hospitals and fire stations. Baby boxes are another option.
"Anybody who feels like they're in a position that they need to surrender their child, please give us the opportunity to assist you," Stough said.
He said interest in baby boxes is growing across North Texas, with Rowlett installing one this past summer.
In Ennis, a newborn was safely surrendered through one of these boxes earlier this year, showing how they can help save lives.
