John Jefferson
Inset: The car seat in which Jarvis Sims and Christina Thurman allegedly abandoned their newborn baby (Adams County Sheriff’s Office). Background: The area in which Sims and Thurman allegedly left the child on Christmas Day (Google Maps).
A 42-year-old father and a 33-year-old mother were arrested in Colorado for allegedly abandoning their newborn child on Christmas Day, leaving the infant — who was wearing only a diaper — in a car seat on the median of the road. Jarvis Sims and Christina Thurman were taken into custody on Wednesday and charged with one count each of felony child abuse, authorities announced.
According to a news release from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, deputies at about 9:20 a.m. on Christmas Day responded to a 911 call from someone who saw an unattended baby in a car seat that had been left in the median near 7490 Pecos Street in Denver, Colorado.
The child was said to be “wearing only a diaper” and had been left “sitting in a car seat/ carrier.” Authorities said the child appeared to be “mixed race or Hispanic.”
The sheriff’s office said the person who called 911 stopped to help the child before notifying authorities.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders canvassed the area in hopes of finding surveillance camera footage showing who left the child on the street or someone who may have been in the area at the time the baby was abandoned.
In a Facebook post, the sheriff’s office also posted photographs of the car seat in which the child was found. On the center of the seat was a small sign that read: “Display only. Not intended for sale.”
“We are hoping someone recognizes the car seat or knows something about the baby or family so he can be united with his loved ones and the person who abandoned him can be brought to justice,” according to the release issued before the child’s parents were arrested.
At 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office posted an update to their Facebook page stating they had “been in contact with family members of the infant” and continuing to investigate the circumstances of the child’s abandonment. The update also noted that authorities would “pursue criminal charges if deemed appropriate.”
Just before 9 p.m. on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office posted a second update announcing that the baby’s biological parents had been identified and arrested.
“Thank you to our community who quickly sprang into action, spread the word, and assisted with sharing the information about this incident,” the release states.
The baby was transported to Children’s Hospital Colorado “as a precaution.”
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