Faith Argo faces preliminary felony charges after leaving her newborn baby abandoned behind an Indianapolis shopping center.
Faith Argo, a 24-year-old homeless woman, faces preliminary felony charges of neglect of a dependent resulting in serious bodily injury after leaving her newborn baby behind the East Thompson Shopping Center on Monday night. The infant was found by Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers at approximately 7 p.m. Investigators believe the child was left behind the building on purpose, and while the emergency responders took the child to a local hospital for evaluation, the police have not yet confirmed if the child sustained any injuries. Monica Kelsey, the founder and CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, noted that this is the third illegal abandonment in the area within the last year. To address the issue, her organization is investing $50,000 into a new awareness campaign to inform mothers in crisis that they can legally and anonymously surrender their newborns at hospitals, fire stations, or designated baby boxes. Officer Tommy Thompson of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department emphasized that using these safe options prevents families from facing criminal charges when leaving a defenseless child in a dangerous area.