Trinidad and Tobago: Newborn found in box in South Oropouche

Trinidad and Tobago: A newborn baby girl was found inside a black plastic bag in a cardboard box on St Mary’s Road, South Oropouche, on Thursday, August 20, 2026, after a 23-year-old Venezuelan woman reported hearing her crying, and the investigation later took a new turn when the woman reportedly told police that the baby is her daughter.

Police said that the baby girl was found around 12:15 p.m. near the South Oropouche Government Primary School. The woman, who lives in St. Mary’s Village, was walking along the road when she heard a baby crying and then noticed a cardboard box nearby.

Upon checking the cardboard box, the woman found a baby inside a black plastic bag and wrapped in a blanket. The infant still had her umbilical cord attached.

The woman took the baby to the house of a 47-year-old Trinidadian man from the same area before they went to the Oropouche Police Station with the child around 12:30 p.m.

The baby was cleaned and diapered at the police station before being taken to Point Fortin Hospital for medical examination. A paediatrician later estimated that the baby was around three to four days old.

Medical checks reportedly found the baby to be in good health, with no clear signs of physical abuse. No bruises or scratch marks were observed, while dried blood was seen around the umbilical area and lower limbs. The umbilical stump was not actively bleeding.

The baby remains at Point Fortin Hospital and is reported to be in good health.

The investigation took a new direction after the woman reportedly returned to the South Oropouche Police Station and told officers that the newborn is her daughter. She reportedly said that she had kept her pregnancy hidden from people living at her home in St. Mary’s Village.

Police are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the baby’s birth, why the pregnancy was allegedly kept hidden and what happened before the infant was found in the box. The woman was also taken for medical treatment by police.

Officers from the South Oropouche Police Station and the Child Protection Unit are continuing the investigation. The Children’s Authority was contacted.

Child psychologist Dr. Sarah Subhan said that there are several factors which could lead to a situation in which a mother abandons a newborn, which includes lack of support, fear, isolation, mental health concerns, violence and trauma.

Subhan also said that the baby still had her umbilical cord attached, showing that neither the mother nor child had received medical attention.

She also called for greater public awareness about support services and options available to mothers who may not be able to care for their babies.

The authority also said that its Emergency Response Team is investigating the incident and has urged anyone who has information about this incident to contact its hotline at 996 or the police at 999. The investigation remains ongoing.