Newborn Baby Found Abandoned On The Beach In East Honolulu, Hawaii, Women Follow Cries And Save Baby's Life

A newborn baby girl was found naked and crying in the sand at Sandy Beach in east Honolulu, Hawaii.

The 8-pound infant was "abandoned immediately after birth," said Patricia McManaman, Director of the state Department of Human Services, according to The Associated Press.

A 21-year-old women was parked at Sandy Beach sometime between 11 p.m. Sunday and midnight when she heard several people screaming, said police spokeswomen, Michelle Yu, according to the AP.  A few minutes later, after the screaming had stopped, the women heard a baby crying.

The women followed the cries toward the ocean and found a the newborn baby naked in the sand, so she took the baby to Queen's Medical Center.

"Just blessed that the child had an angel that came and helped her out.  It would have to be something tragic for someone to just leave their newborn here.  Just as a father, how somebody could actually just do that kind of stuff -- it's just crazy." said Jonathan Kamai, a Sandy Beach regular, according to Channel 12, WSFA.

"We heard one van pull up or something and whole bunch of people jumped out and I'm not sure what they was doing, but after they left I went back sleep -- and a whole bunch of cops came out of nowhere and they started coning off the area," said Scott Lima, another Sandy Beach regular, who was camping in the area overnight and was woken around 11:30 p.m. Sunday by loud activity outside his truck, according to WSFA.

Lima said he never saw a pregnant woman or a woman with a baby. "It was kind of surprising to see all these cops over here looking for somebody this late at night, one little kid -- whoa, that's mental," he said.

However, law enforcement sources told WSFA that an eyewitness reported seeing a woman standing in the water and heard her screaming in pain. When the he approached her to see what was wrong, she told him she cut her foot on the reef. Then, later on, he reportedly saw another woman with a crying baby leaving the beach.

"I think first and foremost, we're happy to report that the female infant is doing quite well. She's drinking formula, weighs approximately 8 pounds," McManaman said, according to WSFA.  She said that the baby appears to have been boarn about a week or two early and have been delivered within the last 24 hours.

Police are investigating the case as it pertains to child abandonment and endangering the welfare of a minor, the AP reports.  According to the police, the penalty for endangering the welfare of a minor is up to one year in prison, WSFA reports.

The infant's mother has not been identified, WSFA reports.  Honolulu police say the 21-year-old woman who found the baby on the beach is not a suspect at this time.  If no one comes forward to claim the child this week, the Department of Human Services will file a petition with family court, asking for custody, according to the AP.

Hawaii became the 48th state to have a baby safe haven law in place in 2007, state Rep. John Mizuno told the AP.  This law provides immunity from prosecution if a newborn is left unharmed within 72 hours of birth at a fire department, police station, hospital or with emergency services.  The nearest hospital was only three miles away from where the child was left on the beach, WSFA reports.

"I think for all women who find themselves in this situation there are an array of options, and I think the last option that's available to them is the Safe Haven law," McManaman told WSFA.

McManaman says that the law was established in order to create a safe haven for newborns and to protect the health and safety of the abandoned newborn.  The safe haven locations may not refuse to accept a newborn.  No one has taken advantage of the baby safe haven law since it was enacted, she said, according to the AP.