Mother charged after her newborn baby is found on a sidewalk covered in ants

After giving birth alone in her apartment kitchen, a Texas mother allegedly abandoned her baby on a sidewalk.

The baby was found five hours later covered in ants, according to the Houston Chronicle.

The mother, Sidney Woytasczyk, has been charged with felony child abandonment and faces up to 20 years behind bars, according to prosecutors.

The baby’s father was in the apartment during the birth but didn’t know what was transpiring, according to the Chronicle.

A neighbor discovered the baby on a sidewalk, covered in insect bites, cuts and bruises.

“More than likely the baby would have died if nobody had found her,” Harris County Deputy Kimberly Thomas told the Chronicle.

The baby is being treated for a rapid heartbeat and bacterial infection but is in good condition.

Deputies urged new parents to familiarize themselves with safe-haven laws meant to protect unwanted newborns. Babies under 60 days old can be dropped off at a hospital, fire station or EMS station in Texas.

Missouri’s safe haven law allows parents to leave babies up to 1 year old with an on-duty employee of a hospital, fire department or police or emergency medical agency.

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 9:17 AM with the headline "Mother charged after her newborn baby is found on a sidewalk covered in ants."