2 are in custody after baby girl is found abandoned behind dumpsters in Mississippi

Two people are in custody in connection with the abandonment of a newborn girl who was found behind dumpsters at a Mississippi mobile home park, authorities said.

The two people were arrested Friday afternoon, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. Authorities did not provide further details on who they were but noted that the newborn remained in good condition and is recovering at a hospital.

The sheriff's office said the baby was discovered around 7:00 p.m. local time Wednesday. She was bundled up in several blankets and in a car seat behind dumpsters at the Grove of Cayce mobile home park in Marshall County, about 35 miles southeast of Memphis near the Tennessee border.

The baby was transported to Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis in good condition, authorities said.

"We would like to thank you for your help, support and prayers for this little girl," the sheriff's office said on Facebook.

The incident spurred discussion of Safe Haven laws with some community members calling for more publicity on safe surrenders and baby boxes. A spokesperson with Le Bonheur Children's Hospital declined to comment on the ongoing investigation but cited Tennessee’s Safe Haven law — which allows mothers to surrender unharmed newborns to designated facilities within two weeks of birth without fear of being prosecuted, according to the state's Department of Children's Services and WREG-TV.

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Every state has a Safe Haven law

All 50 states in addition to the the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico have enacted a Safe Haven law, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway. Safe Haven laws provide a way for a person to safely relinquish an unharmed newborn without any risk of prosecution.

But the laws do vary from state to state. In most states, either parent may surrender their baby to a Safe Haven location, according to the Child Welfare Information Gateway.

"Approximately seven states require parents to relinquish their infants only to a hospital, emergency medical services provider, or health-care facility," the Child Welfare Information Gateway states. "In 32 states, Guam, and Puerto Rico, fire stations also are designated as safe haven providers. Personnel at police stations or other law enforcement agencies may accept infants in 27 states and Puerto Rico."

While Safe Haven laws generally allow parents to remain anonymous, meaning some states won't compel them to reveal their identity, the process is not entirely anonymous.

According to Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, it can be considered abandonment if a parent does not directly hand their child to an employee at a Safe Haven location. In 2018 and 2019, authorities investigated two cases in Kentucky and Louisiana where babies were left outside a fire station and a hospital.

A parent may also be asked to voluntarily fill out paperwork on the child's medical history or provide any other relevant information to the Safe Haven location. Once the child is deemed unharmed, the parent is able to leave.

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Some states have anonymous Safe Haven Baby Boxes

After learning she was abandoned as an infant, Kelsey founded Safe Haven Baby Boxes to educate others on Safe Haven laws and help mothers who want to stay completely anonymous, according to the non-profit organization.

"The Safe Haven Baby Box takes the face-to-face interaction out of the surrender and protects the mother from being seen," the organization states.

Currently, 15 states have baby box locations, according to the organization. In Arizona, Banner Hospital introduced baby drawers, which are a similar device.

Baby boxes are devices typically installed at fire stations and hospitals that parents can use to surrender their babies. These boxes are accessible from the outside of buildings and are equipped with silent alarms that will alert personnel after a box is opened.

The boxes automatically lock once a baby is placed inside and the door is closed, according to Safe Haven Baby Boxes. The boxes also have cooling and heating features to keep the child safe until personnel arrives, which is usually in less than 2 minutes.

Contributing: Rasha Ali, USA TODAY; The Associated Press