‘Baby in a ditch’ reported along highway in Louisiana. He was still alive, cops say

A 1-year-old was hospitalized in stable condition after deputies found the boy in a ditch along Interstate 10 in southwest Louisiana.

It remains unclear how long the infant sat alone in the ditch.

The discovery was made Tuesday, July 9, in the Vinton area, one day after the body of a 4-year-old boy was found along the same stretch of interstate near the Texas state line, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office reports.

Investigators have determined the boys were siblings, resulting in their mother being arrested, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

“Detectives were advised the (dead) child was last seen on Saturday (July 6), with his mother ... and his 1-year-old brother,” the sheriff’s office said.

“She was located in Mississippi, without the 1-year-old, by the Meridian Police Department and taken into custody. CPSO continued the search for the 1-year-old child, and this morning, July 9, at approximately 9 a.m., deputies were dispatched to a call in reference to a passerby observing a baby in a ditch on I-10 eastbound near mile marker 10.”

The baby was “positively identify” as the 1-year-old. Details of any injuries the boy sustained have not been released.

His mother, a 25-year-old Lake Charles resident, has been charged with failure to report a missing child, officials said. McClatchy News is not identifying the mother to protect the identity of the 1-year-old.

A cause of death for the 4-year-old boy has yet to be determined, officials said. His body was found in a pond behind the Interstate 10 welcome center in Vinton, officials said. Vinton is about a 230-mile drive west from New Orleans.

“Fortunately, we were able to locate the 1-year-old, who ... is now safe and in the care of authorities,” Calcasieu Parish Sheriff Stitch Guillory said in the news release.

“We understand the community’s concern and are committed to ensuring justice for the children involved. CPSO detectives are actively working to gather all the information and details surrounding this case and the death of the 4-year-old. ... Our hearts go out to the family members of these two children.”

This story was originally published July 10, 2024 at 6:23 AM with the headline "‘Baby in a ditch’ reported along highway in Louisiana. He was still alive, cops say."