Mother Arrested After Abandoning Baby at Penn Station

MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) — A 30-year-old woman was arrested early Wednesday for abandoning her newborn daughter at Penn Station earlier this week. The suspect, Assa Diawara, was located in Queens before 3 a.m. and now faces charges of child abandonment and endangering the welfare of a child. She is expected to appear in court on Wednesday.

Police found the baby girl at the southbound 1 train platform on Monday morning, wrapped in a blanket and still attached to her umbilical cord. The baby was discovered at the bottom of a staircase by officers responding to an anonymous tip just before 9:30 a.m. She was taken to a hospital and is reported to be in stable condition.

Surveillance video released by the NYPD showed Diawara near the station, leading investigators to track her movements. Detectives identified her using a series of clips that showed her taking a car service from Penn Station back to Jamaica, Queens. After canvassing the area where she was dropped off, a neighbor recognized Diawara from the footage.

Upon being confronted by police, Diawara allegedly admitted to abandoning her baby. Neighbors expressed shock at the news, with one resident, Jonathan, stating, ‘Thank goodness that baby was found well and alive, but it’s heartbreaking to know that individual responsible is right here a few houses away from me.’

New York‘s Safe Haven Law allows parents to legally abandon a baby under 30 days old in designated safe locations, such as hospitals or police stations, without fear of prosecution. To help those in need, the Safe Haven hotline is available at 1-888-510-BABY.