A man in Indianapolis got the shock of his life when he stepped outside to grab a package and found two abandoned baby girls in a ditch near his home.
Robert Deane, who lives on the southeast side of Indianapolis, noticed two car seats lying in the ditch just a few steps from his front door. Curious, he went to check, only to discover the unimaginable: two tiny babies strapped in their car seats, left out in the freezing cold.
“One of them was screaming,” Robert shared with the media. “I didn’t think twice. I grabbed the car seats, brought them inside, warmed them up, and called 911.”
The baby girls, just four and five months old, had been reported missing earlier that morning after a 2013 Hyundai Sonata they were in was stolen. Police said the car was taken around 11 a.m. with the infants still inside.
By the time Robert found them, temperatures had dropped to a bone-chilling 27°F (-3°C). The ditch where the babies were abandoned was about four miles from where the car had been stolen. Authorities believe the babies could have been left outside for some time, but it’s unclear exactly how long.
IMPD is seeking the community’s help in locating the following vehicle that was stolen with a 4-month-old and 5-month-old child in the back.
— IMPD (@IMPDnews) December 2, 2024
The plate number on the vehicle is 364CMU. If you see this vehicle, please call 911 immediately.
Follow here for updates. pic.twitter.com/72Y1NAVMZm
“It’s so cold out here,” said Indianapolis Police spokesperson William Young. “We’re lucky Robert went outside when he did. Who knows what could’ve happened if those babies were left out there any longer?”
The police were first alerted about the stolen car that morning on the city’s south side. Soon after, Robert called them to report the babies he found outside his home.
As of now, police are still piecing together what happened. It’s unclear if the babies were left alone in the car when it was stolen or how the thief abandoned them. Investigators are now examining the stolen car for clues and are urging anyone with information to come forward.
“This is the kind of outcome we hope for in such scary situations,” Young added. “Robert’s quick actions saved those babies, and we’re so grateful he got them to safety.”
Thankfully, both babies are unharmed and are now safe. The police have yet to make an arrest, but the investigation is ongoing. They’re asking anyone who saw anything suspicious to reach out and help bring the person responsible to justice.
