Mother of Abandoned Newborn Baby Girl Found on Porch in Upper Darby Identified, Police Say

The mother of a newborn baby girl found abandoned on an Upper Darby porch has been identified and will face charges, township police said Friday.

She is a teenage girl younger than 18, police said in a tweet. They did not release her name.

The abandoned baby girl, believed to be only hours old, was found alone and wrapped in a blanket Tuesday afternoon.

The mother is 15 years old and her parents didn't know she was pregnant, Upper Darby Police Chief Michael Chitwood said.

Chitwood said the teenager had the girl in a bathroom and cut the umbilical cord herself.

Terrell Phillips told NBC10 he found the infant on his neighbor's porch on the 100 block of Englewood Road around 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

"When I saw a little arm, I walked over and saw the baby," Phillips said.

Phillips immediately called 911 and checked on the child.

Police said the girl appeared to have been cleaned up when Phillips found her.

"She was sleeping," Phillips said. "No crying. Very quiet. She was just there. When I picked the baby up and opened the towel up the baby still had the umbilical cord on her."

The baby was taken to Delaware County Hospital where she was reportedly doing fine. The owner of the house told police they were outside around 9 a.m. and didn't see the child, meaning the baby may have been alone for a few hours before Phillips found her.

The home where the baby was found is located a half a mile away from the Upper Darby Township Police Department. Under Pennsylvania's Safe Haven Law, a parent may leave a newborn baby in the care of a hospital or with a police officer at a police station without being criminally liable as long as the baby is no older than 28 days and is not harmed.