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Woman, 20, arrested after infant, toddler found near dumpsters behind Madison Heights school

Children found by driving instructor Saturday

An area outside Lamphere High School in Madison Heights where two young children were abandoned. (WDIV)

MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – Police have arrested a 20-year-old woman after an infant and a toddler were found Saturday tucked behind a brick wall outside a Madison Heights high school. Police did not explicitly say if the woman is the children’s mother.

Madison Heights police reported Thursday, July 20, that a woman was taken into custody after two young children were abandoned behind Lamphere High School. At around 1 p.m. on Saturday, July 15, a 4-week-old baby and a 2-year-old child were discovered alone and in car seats outside the school.

A driving instructor for the Official Driving School happened upon the children while stopping at the high school for a quick break. The instructor, John Belyea, told Local 4 that as he walked up to the building on Saturday, he heard strange noises that he first believed was coming from fighting cats.

Upon further inspection, Belyea realized the sounds were coming from a child. He searched the area, and found the two young children in car seats tucked behind a small brick wall. Watch Belyea walk us through his search in the video report down below.

Belyea called 911, and members of the police and fire departments responded right away. The children were taken to the hospital for observation and were found to be in stable condition, police reported Thursday.

With fewer people visiting the school during the summer, Belyea said it’s lucky that he found the children on a whim on a Saturday, because they otherwise might’ve gone unnoticed until at least the following Monday. He also said the child making noises really saved both the children, because they were not immediately visible sitting behind that brick wall.

Authorities said Thursday that the parents of the children were identified, and that a 20-year-old woman was taken into custody. It was not said what day the woman was arrested. Police did not explicitly say the woman is the mother or guardian of the children, but did imply as much, saying Child Protective Services was contacted.

There is no apparent connection to the Lamphere School District specifically, police said.

A note was reportedly found with the children, but its contents haven’t been revealed at this time.

In Michigan, there is a so-called safe haven law in place, known as the Safe Delivery law, that allows parents to legally surrender a newborn within 72 hours of their birth. Under these laws, the child must be surrendered at a designated location, such as a hospital or a police or fire department.

Because these children were found at an undesignated location, and well beyond the 72-hour window, the Safe Delivery law does not appear to apply in this case. Police have not yet identified the woman in custody, and have not elaborated on the specific charges being sought.

Anyone with additional information about this specific case are asked to call Detective Sergeant Hartunian at 248-837-2737, or the police department at 248-585-2100.

Resources are available for Michigan families going through a difficult time. The United Way has a Michigan resource database for families for anything from diapers to food and rental assistance. Click here to access the database.

Watch below: Belyea explains how children were found


About the Author
Cassidy Johncox headshot

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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