Mother facing several charges after abandoning baby on front porch, police say

ATLANTA — Police have identified and charged a mother accused of abandoning her newborn on the front porch of a northwest Atlanta home.

Investigators say Doretha Burkes, 22, reached out to them Tuesday afternoon to ask about the child's condition. She told them she was homeless and left the child on the doorstep because she could not care for her. She said she did not know that she was supposed to take the baby to a safe haven, such as a fire station or a hospital.

However, police say they later learned Burkes was not actually homeless and that she lived with her mother in southwest Atlanta.

"We believe she gave birth inside the apartment where she lives with her mother while her mother was not there, but that's not verified," Lt. Jeff Baxter said in a news conference Wednesday.

They also say she has another child and a job and that she had been afraid to tell anyone she was pregnant for fear that her mother would kick her out.

Burkes is being charged with reckless conduct, cruelty to children and providing false information to police.

"It's unfortunate that we have to charge her, but she has to answer for those actions," Baxter said. "I think a reasonable person would understand that a random house on a random street at 1 a.m. is not the appropriate way to handle that."

Earlier Wednesday, Channel 2 Action News obtained the 911 call from a woman who found the newborn on her front porch around 1 a.m. Tuesday.

During the call, Freida Burston told the dispatcher that she heard crying coming from the front porch or her northwest Atlanta home and when she opened the front door, there was a child wrapped in a blanket.

"The baby don't have no clothes. She just delivered the baby. Oh my God. I've never seen anything like this before in my life," Burston said.

Doctors believe the baby girl was only a few hours old when she was found. They say she was 5 pounds, 13 ounces when she was born around 11:30 p.m. Monday.

The baby, who hasn't been named, is in the hospital in good condition. Police say the baby's mother and grandmother have indicated to them that they want custody of the child, who is currently in the custody of the Department of Family and Children's Services.

Cox Media Group