Newborn found abandoned in Yonkers building reunites with police who rescued her
Melanie was found inside a hallway in an apartment building on Chestnut Street in Yonkers.
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A newborn found abandoned inside a hallway in Yonkers was reunited Tuesday with those who rescued her.
News 12 first reported on the shocking case of baby Melanie back in February 2024.
"I'm so fortunate to have this human being in my life," said Melanie's adopted mother.
The couple asked News 12 not to show their faces. Their adopted daughter, Melanie, has quite the story.
"When police arrived, they saw a young infant, newborn, wrapped in a cloth on the floor. Baby still had an umbilical cord attached," said Yonkers Police Deputy Chief Richard Alaimo.
Melanie was found inside a hallway in an apartment building on Chestnut Street.
"We couldn't really believe it at first, and when we got inside the vestibule, we see her," said Officer Tyler Barreira.
Officers Barreira and McEvoy responded to the call.
"The main thing was just getting her safe and getting her to the hospital," McEvoy told News 12.
They brought the baby to the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital in Valhalla.
"She got an extensive evaluation. She was really declared quite healthy," said Dr. Edmund La Gamma, the chief of the division of Newborn Medicine at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital.
After that, Melanie was fostered by the two who just officially adopted her.
Melanie's birth mother, Jaqueline Marleni Perez, was sentenced to two years of probation.
"I think her intention was to give her to a family that can take care of her because she knew she couldn't," said Melanie's adopted mom.
On Tuesday, Melanie was reunited with the officers behind her rescue and the medical staff who cared for her.
"It's a success story that we don't get to see a lot," said Officer McEvoy.
"They performed admirably, and I couldn't be more proud," Alaimo told News 12.
