Fort Worth Police officers and detectives from the Crimes Against Children Unit are back at the west side motel where a dead baby was found Sunday, with the investigation centered around the dumpster where officers discovered the infant.
While staying at the Drummers Inn Motel on Camp Bowie Boulevard, Demetree Newsom watched as detectives investigated the baby’s death.
“Don’t put it in a trash can. Babies don’t go in trash cans at all,” Demetree Newsom said.
Officers responded to the motel around 8:30 Sunday night after reports that someone had left a dead infant near the motel dumpster. Newsom doesn’t know the mother or anyone involved in the case. He shared that he is staying at the motel during repairs at his home from flooding.
“You could have given the baby to me. I would have taken the baby and did something like taken it to the hospital or something,” Newsom said.
On Monday morning, a Fort Worth police officer stood guard outside a second-floor motel room while crime scene workers collected additional evidence. That includes taking photographs of the dumpster and the area around it. A motel employee told WFAA the security camera near the dumpster is not working.
Police say information from the public could help investigators determine what happened.
“For anybody that saw anything, as little information as they think they have that might be very minor, it could help us out to determine what happened,” Officer Cynthia Wood said.
Investigators have not released the baby’s race, gender, or age and hope to learn more from autopsy results. The police presence at the motel also caught the attention of passersby, including Tommy Dennis.
“You don’t want your baby, just take it somewhere safe. Just don’t throw it in a dumpster. No, it’s just not right. It’s not right,” Dennis said.
All Fort Worth Fire Stations are designated as a safe place as part of the city’s Baby Moses Law, which allows people to drop off unwanted children 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“With the help and community partners that we have, we’re gonna do everything that we can to make sure that that child’s safety, health, and best interest is priority number one,” Fort Worth Fire Department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said, “it’s judgment-free.”
As police work to determine who left the baby, the discovery has also left motel guests with difficult questions.
“It made me feel some type of way, you know?” Demetree Newsom said.