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Abandoned infant recovered in Dorchester

Boston police on Friday recovered an abandoned newborn baby from a trash bin in the Lower Mills section of Dorchester, officials said.

Officer Kim Tavares, a department spokesman, said police were called to the area of 2262 Dorchester Ave. at 1:14 p.m. for a report of an abandoned baby.

“The baby was taken to a hospital and is in good condition,” Tavares said Friday evening.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Children and Families said Friday night that it had taken emergency custody of the baby.

The mother of the newborn is also being treated at a local hospital, according to the office of Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins, which is investigating the incident.

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Rollins’s office reminded the public of the 2004 Safe Haven Act of Massachusetts, which allows a parent to legally surrender a baby at any hospital, police station, or staffed fire station within seven days of birth without facing criminal charges.

“We want parents of newborns to be aware that there are options available when they feel hopeless or overwhelmed,” Rollins said in the statement. “That this newborn survived is a miracle. The civilian who alerted authorities should be commended for getting involved and helping. We are hoping for this child’s continued good health.”

A woman named Silvana Sanchez told WCVB-TV that she was walking on the street when she heard crying coming from a trash barrel. She told the station that EMTs were nearby at the time, and that she asked for their help.

“He grabbed a grocery bag out of the trash can. Two other EMTs came over, cut the bag open; it was a newborn baby found inside of it,” Sanchez told the station.

Caitlin McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for Boston EMS, confirmed in a statement that her agency responded to the call.

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“Boston EMS, EMTs, and paramedics responded; one patient was treated and transported via advanced life support ambulance to an area hospital,” McLaughlin said.

It wasn’t immediately clear how long the infant had been abandoned.

Globe correspondent Jeremy C. Fox contributed to this report.



Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.