FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Deputies released the identity of the mother arrested nearly four years after a newborn was found abandoned in the woods in Forsyth County.
Channel 2′s Tom Regan attended a news conference at the sheriff’s office Friday where Sheriff Ron Freeman identified the mother as 40-year-old Karima Jiwani.
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Jiwani faces multiple charges, including attempt to commit murder, cruelty to children in the first degree, reckless abandonment and other charges.
“This investigation has taken thousands of hours and we never stopped in those four years. I stood in this room and told you we would bring them to justice. Little did I know it would take four years,” Freeman said.
The sheriff also revealed that Jiwani had a history of concealed pregnancies; however, he said investigations haven’t found additional criminal acts like this.
Authorities say they were able to use DNA evidence to identify the baby’s father 10 months ago.
They say Jiwani gave birth in her car and drove around for a significant amount of time before abandoning the baby.
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Neighbors heard a baby crying and discovered “Baby India” tied up in the bag in June 2019.
In the days after the incident, Channel 2 Action News showed you body camera video of the moments deputies tore open the bag to find the newborn with her umbilical cord still attached. The video shows officers frantically wrap the crying baby in a jacket.
Alan Ragatz told Regan it was an “act of God” that he and his daughters found the newborn.
Once again on Friday, Freeman thanked the Ragatz family and the Forsyth County community for supporting Baby India.
“Baby India is now prosperous, happy and healthy. When those who were supposed to do their best did their worst to her, Forsyth County stepped up in a big way. We had literally hundreds, if not thousands of citizens asking how they can help….Forsyth County surrounded this little girl with love, care and prayers and lifted her up the way it’s supposed to be,” the sheriff said.
Jiwani will make her first appearance at the Forsyth County Jail on Saturday morning.
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