A newborn baby boy was found abandoned on a back porch of an apartment at the Buena Vista Point apartment complex Friday morning, according to the Orange County Sheriff's Office.

  • Hours-old baby boy found on apartment complex patio
  • Baby taken to Winnie Palmer Hospital, is in stable condition
  • Sheriff's deputies are looking for his parents

The baby was found at about 8:40 a.m. with his umbilical cord still attached, deputies said in an incident report. The 35-year-old man who lives in the apartment told deputies he works overnights at a hotel and didn't notice the baby there when he left for work the night before. When he came home in the morning, he heard a baby crying and saw the baby on a patio chair.

“He heard some kind of wimper or cry, and he looked on the loveseat on his back porch, and there was something wrapped in a brown blanket,” said Jane Watrel, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office.

The baby boy was wearing a diaper and child-size black shirt with a red Nike logo on it. He was taken to Winnie Palmer Hospital, where he is in good condition and expected to be OK, officials said. It was determined at the hospital that the baby was only hours old.

“It’s a little disheartening to hear. It’s sad," said Anthony Mare, an apartment complex resident. "We never want to see children just left out in the open. You never know what could happen.”

Investigators said the man’s roommate was inside the apartment overnight, but she said she didn't see or hear anything unusual. They haven't yet been able to find anyone who witnessed the infant being placed on the porch and are trying to locate the parents.

“We’re not going to talk about charges or anything to that sort. We just want the parents to come forward and find out what happened, because obviously this is this child’s birthday today, and it’s quite a way to come into this world," Watrel said.

In Florida, a safe-haven law allows a parent to leave a newborn baby, up to 7 days old, with an employee at any hospital, emergency medical services station or with a firefighter at any fire station and not face any consequences.

“This newborn didn’t know what’s going on, and I think the parents should get in trouble for it, because it’s not fair to the baby itself," said resident Glenn Douyard. "It’s so hot out here.”

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS or the Orange County Sheriff's Office at 407-836-4357.