What Happens to Abandoned Babies in Illinois? Patch PM

How One Abandoned Baby Found a Loving Mom and Dad

Last week, a teen mom who hid her pregnancy from her family gave birth in her bedroom, according to Cook County prosecutors, then tossed the newborn girl out of an eighth-story window into the cold Chicago night. Her body broken and bleeding inside, the infant slowly lay dying.

A Chicago hospital was nearby. A fire station, too.

That mom could have done as 110 other moms in Illinois have — she could have taken the newborn to the hospital or fire station, left the baby girl in someone else’s hands and walked away. Under the Safe Haven Law enacted in 2001, she could have done so with no questions asked.

What happens to those abandoned babies?

CBS Chicago tells the story of Maria and Erik and the abandoned baby who suddenly came into their lives.

“We got a call about him one morning at 10,” says Maria. “I had him in my arms by 11:15.”

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State’s Attorney Freezes Melodie Gliniewicz’s Bank Accounts

A little more than two months ago, Melodie Gliniewicz was the widow of a hero cop slain in the line of duty. She stood on a stage before a crowd of mourners and thanked them for their sympathy — and the money they were donating to her family. A week and a half ago, she was pumping gas when she learned she couldn’t pay the bill — because all of her credit and bank accounts were frozen. After revelations her husband took his own life to avoid being called to account for his own criminal acts, she’s now the widow of a disgraced cop and the target of a criminal investigation.

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Frank Lloyd Wright Home Under Contract; Won’t Be Demolished

• Highland Park property finds a buyer during one-year demolition delay.

O’Hare Flights See Delays, Cancellations Wednesday for Wind

• More than 500 flights through O’Hare delayed by midday.

Also Worth a Look Today

• Angry Driver Faces Felony in Alleged Beating of Disabled War Veteran
• Former NFL Player Announces Bid for Illinois U.S. Senate Seat
• ‘Person of Interest’ in 9-Year-Old Chicago Boy’s Murder Arrested on Gun Charge in Oak Lawn: Reports
• Cadillac Fleeing Cops Causes 4-Vehicle Crash: Police
• Honeybees Killed at Lincolnshire Resort

Patch PM shares a few of the day’s must-read items from our Chicago network. The Patch community platform serves more than six dozen villages and cities in the Chicago region.

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