A newborn baby girl was found abandoned in a cardboard box along a roadway in South Oropouche, Trinidad, on Thursday, prompting a police investigation.

The infant was discovered around 12:15 pm along St Mary’s Road, near the South Oropouche Government Primary School.

Police said a 23-year-old Latin American woman from St Mary’s Village was walking along the road when she heard a baby crying. 

She followed the sound and found a cardboard box at the side of the road.

Inside was a newborn girl wrapped in a blanket and placed inside a black plastic bag. The baby’s umbilical cord was still attached.

The woman immediately took the infant and went to the home of a 47-year-old man from the area. 

They later brought the baby to the Oropouche Police Station.

The infant was subsequently taken to a medical facility for assessment and treatment.

Police said the baby’s mother has since been identified and investigators are working to determine the circumstances surrounding the abandonment.

The Children’s Authority of Trinidad and Tobago is assisting with the investigation.

The Authority, in a separate statement, appealed to parents and caregivers who may be struggling to care for a child to seek assistance rather than abandon them.

It said its Emergency Response Team is conducting inquiries into the case and reminded the public that support is available for persons who feel unable to safely care for a child.

Anyone with information that could assist the investigation is asked to contact the Children’s Authority at 996 or the police at 999.