Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub-Editor: Joana Mihajlovska, Agency:  Newsflash

A 19-year-old woman has been arrested in Spain for placing her newborn – who still had his umbilical cord attached – inside a cardboard box and abandoning him in a derelict home in a rural area.

The incident happened in the municipality of Torrijos in the province of Toledo in the Spanish region of Castile and Leon on Tuesday 23rd February.

Local media said a woman named Rocio was in a rural area in the municipality when she noticed two other people who she thought were acting suspiciously.

The pair was later identified as two females aged 19 and 15.

Rocio said she watched the two girls carrying a box that she suspected had an animal they intended to abandon inside.

She told Castilla-La Mancha Media (CMM): “It was their attitude that drew my attention. I thought there were dogs [inside the box] because a lot of people abandon dogs.

“I thought it was a dog or a cat and I was just saying to myself ‘I have to save that dog or cat’.”

The local woman claims she saw the teenagers enter an abandoned house and walk back out without the box before leaving the area.

Rocio decided to confirm there were no living animals inside but was shocked to find a newborn baby boy who still had his umbilical cord attached and showed signs of hypothermia.

The woman said she picked the baby up and hugged him to make sure his temperature didn’t drop anymore and waited for the authorities to arrive.

The baby was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors confirmed he was healthy before transporting him to a hospital in the city of Toledo.

The police were able to identify both teenagers. The 19-year-old, who has been arrested, is reported to be the baby’s biological mother but it is unclear what her relation is with the 15-year-old girl.

The regional government are investigating the case and are providing care for the baby as they search for a permanent home for him.

There have been no further reports.

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