Mom Abandons Children At Hospital
POSTED: 4:01 pm MST October 29,
2008
UPDATED: 11:52 am MST October 30,
2008
PHOENIX -- A Valley mother is under investigation for abandoning her two children at a local hospital, police said.A mother, Kathleen Eidson, 34, of Queen Creek, her boyfriend and two children, ages 4 and 7, went to the Mercy Gilbert Medical Center on Tuesday night to visit her 2-year-old son, who had been admitted, Sgt. Mark Marino of the Gilbert Police Department said.Eidson left to look for her 14-year-old niece who was in her custody after running away three days ago, police said. Eidson called her boyfriend at about 11 p.m. and told him she was out of gas, officers said. He left the hospital, police said.Several hours went by and the mom and boyfriend never came back, Marino said.Hospital staff said they called police to report the children were left alone in the hospital room unattended.Eidson returned to the hospital Wednesday morning and was told the children had been taken away, Marino said. They are in custody of Child Protective Services.The mother is being questioned by police to see if any criminal charges will be filed.According to Arizona state law, a parent can give their baby to a Safe Haven provider without fear of being arrested as long as the baby is less than 3 days old and is left with a staff member at a fire station or hospital and the baby has not been physically harmed.
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