Mom gives birth in a tent and leaves baby on 15-degree day, NH cops say. 2 arrests made
An infant born in a tent in the woods when it was 15 degrees was abandoned there for more than an hour before being rescued, according to police in New Hampshire.
Soon after giving birth on the day after Christmas, the baby’s mother Alexandra Eckersley, 26, was found and arrested after eventually leading police officers to the tent where her child was in Manchester, McClatchy News previously reported.
Now a second arrest has been made in the case.
George Therberge, 45, who was believed to have been with the mother when she gave birth, was taken into custody, the Manchester Police Department said in a Jan. 11 news release shared to Facebook. He’s been charged with felony tampering with witnesses, reckless conduct and endangering the welfare of a child, authorities said.
This comes two days after police announced they were searching for him and issued a warrant for his arrest, according to the department’s Jan. 9 news release.
The baby was born around 12:40 a.m. on Dec. 26 and Eckersley called 911 to report she gave birth in the woods. She initially misled authorities “because she and her boyfriend didn’t want to give the location of the tent,” NBC Boston reported. The tent was located where Eckersley lived in a homeless encampment, according to the outlet.
Ultimately, she “revealed the true location” of her child and brought officers to the infant, according to an earlier police news release. Afterward, the infant was taken to a nearby hospital, authorities said.
When police asked why the baby was abandoned, Eckersley responded by saying “what do they tell when a plane goes down? Save yourself first,” according to an affidavit cited by NBC Boston.
Since the premature baby boy’s birth, Eckersley, who is the daughter of former Red Sox pitcher great Dennis Eckersley, has pleaded not guilty to charges against her in connection with the case, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported.
According to the newspaper, the Eckersley family did not know the woman was pregnant and issued a statement saying “it is heartbreaking that a child was born under such unthinkable conditions and in such tragic circumstances.”
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Manchester, New Hampshire is about 55 miles northwest of Boston.
This story was originally published January 11, 2023 at 5:45 PM with the headline "Mom gives birth in a tent and leaves baby on 15-degree day, NH cops say. 2 arrests made."
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