A couple from Colorado, aged 42 and 33, were taken into custody by law enforcement for allegedly abandoning their newborn child on Christmas Day. The baby, found clad only in a diaper, was discovered in a car seat on a road median. The parents, Jarvis Sims and Christina Thurman, were detained on Wednesday and each faced a felony child abuse charge.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office disclosed that deputies responded to a 911 call around 9:20 a.m. on Christmas Day. The call was placed by a passerby who spotted an unattended infant in a car seat on the median near 7490 Pecos Street in Denver, Colorado. The baby, dressed only in a diaper and left in a car seat/carrier, was believed to be of mixed race or Hispanic descent.
The person who placed the 911 call reportedly paused to help the child before notifying the authorities. Upon their arrival, first responders initiated a search of the area, aiming to locate surveillance footage that might identify who abandoned the child or anyone who might have been nearby when the baby was left.
The sheriff’s office posted photographs of the car seat in which the child was found on their Facebook page. A small sign reading “Display only. Not intended for sale” was affixed to the center of the seat. The office expressed optimism that someone might recognize the car seat or have information about the baby or the family, enabling the child to be reunited with his family and the person responsible for his abandonment to be brought to justice.
At 4:45 p.m. on Wednesday, the sheriff’s office updated their Facebook page, stating they had made contact with the infant’s family members and were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the child’s abandonment. The update also indicated that criminal charges would be pursued if deemed appropriate.
By 9 p.m. on Wednesday, another update was posted by the sheriff’s office, announcing that the biological parents of the baby had been identified and arrested. The office expressed gratitude to the community for their swift action and assistance in sharing information about the incident.
The infant was transported to Children’s Hospital Colorado as a precautionary measure.