PHOENIX — An AMBER Alert that was issued in Phoenix for a 5-day-old baby has been deactivated after he was found safely Wednesday evening.
The alert was issued after the baby was taken from Valleywise Health Medical Center Wednesday morning.
Phoenix Police Department officials said Thursday, 24-year-old Rosa Santana put her baby in a duffle bag and left the hospital Wednesday night.
Later that same night, the mother and baby were located at an apartment complex near 75th Avenue and Indian School Road.
Officials say the baby is back at the hospital receiving proper medical treatments.
Santana is in police custody, held on a $10,000 bond and is facing felony child abuse charges.
In an initial court appearance, a Maricopa County prosecutor alleged that Santana took her baby from the hospital after learning that fentanyl had been found in his system.
On Thursday, Valleywise Health released the following statement regarding this incident:
Valleywise Health maintains, trains and drills on emergency response protocols for emergency situations like the one that occurred yesterday. The Valleywise Health team was alerted when the baby and mother went missing from their acute care hospital room and these protocols were implemented immediately. We notified the Phoenix Police Department and began quickly securing access points throughout the medical center, surveillance of parking lots, mobilization of medical center staff and security personnel in search of the missing mother and infant.
We believe the safety and security of each patient is integral to the mission of our hospital. We are grateful to our team members, law enforcement, community members and our local media for helping in the quick and safe return of the baby and are happy to report he is in good condition.
