Two women were arrested by Kentucky deputies Thursday after authorities found a newborn child on the floor of a minivan, covered with ants and wearing a soiled diaper.
Laurel County deputies arrested the boy's mother, Rebecca Jean Fultz, 32, of Livingston; and the child's grandmother, Charlotte Simpson, 69, of London, the Times-Tribune of Corbin reported. The two women were charged with first-degree criminal abuse, according to the newspaper.
Police learned after stopping the minivan that both women had outstanding bench warrants, WKYT reported.
Ten minutes later, deputies said Simpson told them there was a baby in the minivan, the television station reported. Deputies found a car seat but could not locate the child.
According to a news release from the Sheriff's Office, deputies found the 16-day-old infant on the floorboard between the two front seats with its head facing toward the center console, the Times-Tribune reported. Deputies said ants were crawling on the infant, who had labored breathing, according to the newspaper. The baby also had a soiled diaper, and deputies said there was no air-conditioning in the vehicle.
It was 90 degrees outside, WYMT reported.
"I think it was very fortunate that we were there to come to the rescue for that child," Deputy Gilbert Acciardo told the television station. "Definitely we needed to make an arrest and we needed to take charge of that infant and see that it got emergency care. It was a very dire situation, to say the least."
Fultz later told WKYT her son was fine.
"He just had a few heat bumps on him, but that was it," Fultz told the television station.
"We told them the baby was in there," Simpson told WKYT. "We were in the shade and the windows were down. It was living. I mean, why in the world."
Both women were arraigned Friday morning in Laurel District Court, the television station reported.
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