Mother arrested nearly 4 years after abandoned baby found alive in plastic bag

2023-05-20 17:07:40 Written by Alex

A woman has been arrested and charged with attempting to commit murder nearly four years after an abandoned newborn was discovered alive in a plastic bag in Georgia. The baby girl, who was found in good condition in a wooded area, was heard crying by a local family who then called 911. Authorities revealed that the baby, temporarily named India, was likely born shortly before being found, as her umbilical cord was still attached.

The Forsyth County Sheriff's Office has shared astonishing video footage captured on body cameras showing how first responders rescued the baby from the location where she was found. They have been working diligently on the "Baby India" case, and recently, they made an arrest, according to a press release from the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office.

"Four years ago, I said in this room, and I told you, we will bring this person to justice," Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman told reporters Friday. "Little did I know it was going to take four years."

According to the sheriff, investigators have spent a significant amount of time, around thousands of hours, on the case. About 10 months ago, they made a breakthrough by using advanced DNA investigation techniques to identify the child's father. However, there is no evidence to suggest that the father was aware of the pregnancy or the abandonment of the baby.

Through DNA evidence, it has been confirmed that 40-year-old Karima Jiwani from southeast Forsyth County is the biological mother of the child. Jiwani is now facing several charges, including attempted murder, cruelty to children, aggravated assault, and reckless abandonment. She is currently held without bond in the Forsyth County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Saturday through a remote hearing.

Mother arrested nearly 4 years after abandoned baby found alive in plastic  bag - ABC News

 

According to information from family members and medical professionals, Jiwani had a history of pregnancies that she concealed and gave birth to unexpectedly. During her pregnancy with India, she went to great lengths to hide it. There is no previous record of criminal activity involving Jiwani.

India was likely born in a car, and Jiwani allegedly drove with the newborn for a significant amount of time before abandoning her. Instead of taking the baby to a safe place like a fire station or hospital, which is allowed by law within 30 days of birth, Jiwani left the baby in the woods, wrapped in a plastic bag. The sheriff expressed his sadness and disbelief at the situation, describing it as one of the saddest things he has encountered.

The motive behind these actions is still under investigation and will be presented to a grand jury at a later stage.

Freeman said he would not discuss India, besides to say she's "happy and healthy."

"Baby India is now prospering," he said.

After the baby's remarkable recovery, many people were eager to adopt India, with a line of potential adoptive parents forming, according to Tom Rawlings, the former director of Georgia's Division of Family and Children Service. Rawlings expressed his joy at witnessing a miracle in the midst of the often tragic cases they deal with in child protective services.

 

Due to confidentiality reasons, Rawlings couldn't provide many details about the baby's current whereabouts.
During an interview with "Good Morning America," the first deputy who arrived at the scene shared their account of finding the baby.

"I wanted to give her comfort," Forsyth Sheriff's Deputy Terry Roper said in the weeks after the discovery. "A little bit later I realized it was the first time she had felt love, and I felt honored to be able to give her that."

Freeman stated that Roper, the first deputy at the scene, was present during Jiwani's arrest on Thursday.

During Jiwani's arrest, there were other children in her home who ranged in age from school-age to near adulthood, according to Freeman. To ensure their safety, the sheriff's office has asked the state's Division of Family and Children Services to assess the situation and establish a safety plan.

The night India was found, two sisters heard the baby's cries and went to investigate with their parents, after initially thinking it might have been a cat.

"It sounded like a baby, but you never would think that it's a baby," Kayla Ragatz told "Good Morning America" at the time.

When they found the baby in the plastic bag, her sister, Kyler Ragatz, said she "started bawling" due to the emotional discovery.

"I was angry, scared, sad," she added.

Freeman thanked the family's efforts in finding the baby during Friday's press briefing.

"I call it divine intervention -- and I truly believe that still today," he said. "If you look at everything that had to happen for this little girl to survive."

 

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True Crime Case Histories, Books 1, 2 & 3: 32 Disturbing True Crime Stories (3 Book True Crime Collection)

 

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The Oxford Murder - A young college student strangles his girlfriend and crams her body into an eight-inch crawlspace beneath the stairs.

The Girl in the Barrel - A homeowner finds a 55-gallon barrel in the crawl space beneath his home. What they find inside the barrel unlocks a murder mystery dating back 30 years.

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The Murder of Elizabeth Olten - A 15-year-old girl wants to know what it feels like to kill a person.

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True Crime Case Histories, Books 1, 2 & 3: 32 Disturbing True Crime Stories (3 Book True Crime Collection)

True Crime Case Histories, Books 1, 2 & 3: 32 Disturbing True Crime Stories (3 Book True Crime Collection)