Police find baby inside stolen U-Haul containing drug paraphernalia
By Ubah Ali
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MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A troubling incident unfolding on the streets of Minneapolis resulted in the discovery of dangerous drugs and an infant in need of help.
Minneapolis police say it happened mid-February near East Hennepin Avenue and 25th Avenue.
Officer Allie Simonett says the license plate of the U-Haul flagged as stolen appeared in their system. Several officers stopped the driver and further inspection revealed dangerous drugs and a baby who was in a car seat with no straps.
“All paraphernalia is in reach of the baby. We don’t know if they were smoking in the vehicle with the baby in there,” Simonett said.
Within minutes of getting to the hospital, the baby was unresponsive before doctors were able to stabilize him. He is now in the care of his grandparents and is back to his happy self.
The frightening ordeal was strikingly similar to another dangerous drug situation that happened in Minneapolis just a month ago.
“Just a really troubling situation and very alarming,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said.
Earlier this year, officers were called to help a baby who was not breathing. When the baby was transported to the hospital, officers learned that doctors used Narcan to revive the baby.
Officers rushed back to the home, finding another baby in distress.
“It’s a very scary situation that much scarier when dealing with helpless infants or young children,” O’Hara said.
Nationwide, kids under 2 make up nearly a third of all accidental poisoning cases.
In Minnesota in 2023, 35% of poison cases involved children under the age of 6, according to the Minnesota Poison Control System.
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