MADISON HEIGHTS, Mich. – A mother was sentenced to several years in prison this month after pleading guilty to abandoning her infant and toddler, who were left near dumpsters behind a Madison Heights school last year.
Hanna Belle Swegles, who’s in her early 20s, this year pleaded guilty to two counts each of child abandonment and second-degree child abuse. In July 2023, Swegles left her 4-week-old baby and her 2-year-old child alone in car seats outside of Lamphere High School.
At around 1 p.m. on July 15, 2023, a driving instructor for the Official Driving School happened upon the children while stopping at the school for a break. The children were tucked behind a brick wall near the dumpsters outside the school.
The instructor, John Belyea, told Local 4 that as he walked up to the building, he heard strange noises that he believed were coming from fighting cats. Belyea realized shortly after that the sounds were coming from a child.
Belyea called 911. The children were inspected at the hospital and found to be in stable condition.
Swegles was arrested within a few days after the children were found. She has since pleaded guilty to two counts of child abandonment and two counts of second-degree child abuse.
On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, Swegles was sentenced to 3-10 years in prison.
With fewer people visiting the school during the summer, Belyea previously said that he was lucky to find the children on a whim on a Saturday, because they otherwise might’ve gone unnoticed until the following Monday. He also said the child making noises saved both children, because they were not immediately visible behind the brick wall.
A note was reportedly found with the children, but its contents hadn’t been revealed.
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.
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.