Alexandra Eckersley, adopted daughter of Baseball Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley, was arrested on Monday for abandoning her newborn son in the New Hampshire woods on Christmas, according to police.
The Manchester Police Department said a statement that Alexandra Eckersley, 26, intentionally misled authorities as to the whereabouts of the child.
"Manchester Police and Fire and American Medical Response personnel searched the area where the mother of the baby directed them, however they were unable to locate the child," the statement read.
"After nearly an hour, the mother revealed the true location of the baby and led officers to the area. There, officers located the baby who was treated by EMTs and transported to a local hospital for treatment."
Police received a call about Eckersley, who is homeless, at around 12:40 a.m. on Dec. 26 near the West Side Arena area. Citing first responders, Manchester's WMUR-TV reported that the newborn baby was found just off a footpath, "moving, not crying, exposed and in the cold, without a blanket and next to a bed covered in blood."
The reported temperature at the time was 15-18 degrees.
"Had we not collectively located that little boy when we did and rendered the first aid that was rendered, I'm quite confident the child probably would have died in that tent," said Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg to CBS News.
According to an affidavit obtained by WFXT, Eckersley told EMTs that "she had no idea she was pregnant and that she felt she had to use the bathroom."
When a detective asked her why she left the baby in the tent, Eckersley responded, "What do they tell you when a plane goes down? Save yourself first."
Eckersley was charged with felony reckless conduct, second-degree assault/extreme indifference, endangering the welfare of a child and falsifying physical evidence.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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