A woman who reported finding an abandoned baby on the beach in Hawaii has now been arrested. Police who arrested her, revealed that she is the baby's mother.
The Associated Press reported that the baby girl was abandoned and found crying soon after she was born. The state Department of Human Services Director Patricia McManaman said to The Associated Press that the baby was "abandoned immediately after birth."
She was found at Sandy Beach in east Honolulu. A 21-year-old woman parked at the beach sometime between 11 p.m. Sunday and midnight. She heard a few people screaming and then, when the screaming stopped she heard a baby crying. She walked towards the water and found the baby crying on the sand and took the baby to the hospital.
Keala Simeona, 21, of Honolulu was arrested Tuesday for filing a false police report. She is posted on $250 bail and was released.
The AP reported that it is up to Family Court to decide whether the baby is returned to her family or if parental rights should be terminated said the state Department of Human Services.
An initial hearing is set for Monday. The department plans on getting DNA from the mother and seek DNA testing for the father.
"A spokeswoman for the human services department said officials had just learned about Simeona's arrest and didn't yet have any comment. The department had planned to file a petition this week with family court, seeking custody if no family came forward to claim the baby," reported the AP.
Hawaii adopted the baby safe haven law in 2007 which provides immunity from prosecution for leaving an unharmed newborn within 72 hours of birth at a police department, fire station, hospital or with emergency services.
Jonathan Kamai who is a Sandy Beach regular, said to HawaiiNewsNow.com before the mother was identified that he was happy "the child had an angel that came and helped her out. It would have to be something tragic for someone to just leave their newborn here," he added. "Just as a father, how somebody could actually just do that kind of stuff - it's just crazy."
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
