Woman Who Found Abandoned Baby On Hawaiian Beach Was Infant's Mother
A Hawaiian baby made headlines yesterday after it was found abandoned at a beach in Honolulu, HI Sunday night and was promptly returned to a hospital. Now, the woman who found the infant is in hot water.
As it turns out, the woman, Keala Simeona, was actually the newborn baby's mother, and had given birth to the child mere hours beforehand. Not wanting to keep it, she decided to hand it over to the police.
What is most surprising is that Simeona, 21, already has one child under her custody. Those who would see her around town were shocked that she was even pregnant, as she had hid it from just about everyone.
"It must have been the loneliest, scariest moment of her life, because no woman does that casually -- no matter the circumstances. So she was not aware that there were options, that there were resources for her," said Kristine Altwies, with Hawaii International Child.
She will be charged with filing a false police report, but officers on the island have already indicated that they will not seek additional charges. Even if they wanted to, they might not be able. In Hawaii it is legal to leave a baby in the custody of a hospital, fire department, or police station so long as it's done within 72 hours of the child's birth.
"Without questions, without having to go through the additional challenge of dealing with a former boyfriend or abusive husband -- as long as it's within 72 hours after birth," said Altwies. "Infertility is on the rise and the number of people wanting to adopt a child has been increasing over the years."
Local officials have yet to decide whether the baby will be put into the adoption system or returned to the mother, though it is likely that the child will remain an orphan. The infant was found on Sandy Beach, and so Human Services officials are calling her Sandy for the time being.
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