4-day-old baby found living in a shoe box

(Bed-Stuy - WABC, Sep. 7, 2007) - A baby, less than a week old, is in the care of the Administration for Children's Services this afternoon. Her mother, under arrest, after police found the newborn living in a shoe box in an apartment in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn yesterday.

he four day old baby was found inside her mother's apartment. She is recovering at a local hospital after police say, she was discovered inside of a shoe box, surrounded by filth and roaches, not to mention cocaine and a loaded gun.

According to cops, police showed up at 109 Marcus Garvey Boulevard in Bed-Stuy to apartment B-11 with a search warrant. They were looking for an alleged gang member and convicted felon. When they got to the apartment, they found and arrested the suspect identified as 22-year-old Tarik Vaughn. But what they found after that, was way beyond their expectations.

A 4-day-old baby girl was alive inside a Timberland shoe box, and left alone with her 15-year-old aunt.

"One resident said I just can't understand the conditions," said one resident.

Some neighbors the 19-year-old mother, Genilla Vaughn was mentally disabled. Her brother, Tarik Vaughn is now facing charges for the weapons.

Residents are trying to figure out why the family would resort to these conditions.

"That's crazy....a 4-day-old baby, in a shoe box, with a gun...and cocaine?.........that's sick," said neighbor Jason Watson.

Eyewitness News spoke with the police commissioner about this case and he said the baby's 19-year-old mother has no history as a parent with ACS. However, she will be arraigned later today and charged with endangering the welfare of a minor.





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My GOD! What the fuck is wrong with people? Maybe the mother is mentally disabled, but what about the rest of the family?

Unfortunately, it seems that children have become disposable in our society. I don't understand it. They are the most precious gift that we can possibly receive, and yet they are squandered.

I can't... I just can't.

Oh, I promise you. In a several days or so, we're going to find out that there was a social worker involved with this family that was supposed to be checking up on the 15 year old kid and the living conditions......well you know how the rest of the story goes.

Yeah, I just wish I got to write the ending.

I tell you, I know that the social workers get blamed. And not that we're not wrong to do so. BUT, they are overworked and underpaid, with HUGE caseloads that aren't humanly possible to manage. There's enormous turnover. The things they see every day are unimaginable. It's the SYSTEM that's broken, and nothing has ever been done to truly fix it.

That's true, SB. I had a friend (he passed away last year) that was a case worker down on 161st street. The stuff that he had to take home with him, meaning the guilt, etc... was just incredible. If the city would find the money to pay these poor people what's right, more people would go into the field. Unfortunately, we know that's not going to happen.

So sad,how can people do this.

i agree a baby is a gift and people nowadays you hear more and more of people using their or others children in dispicable ways. that is horrible, reminds me of chris benoit killing his own son and wife no less.

What do we do with pieces of shit like this?

That is just heatbreaking. Ok, even say the mother is mentally disabled, I agree with Cardi. Is there no "adult" in the family to take charge? My god, even if nobody wanted to take care of the baby, put it up for adoption, drop it off at a church or hospital where she will be taken care of. If the mother is that bad off mentally, somebody should be responsible for letting her care for her. Unless.....is it at all possible nobody in the family knew about it? Nah!! Can't be!!

TIS

That's nothing. I was brought up in a matchbox. I smelt of phosphorus until I was 9 years old.

Thats why nobody can match you now.

I've missed your puns, SC.

Better those than my buns.