On Monday morning, a newborn baby was abandoned in the woods in freezing temperatures.
Alexandra Eckersley, the adopted daughter of MLB Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley, faces multiple charges after her baby was found naked and freezing in 18-degree weather in New Hampshire, authorities said.
The Manchester Police Department responded to a report of a woman giving birth in a tent just before 1 a.m., reports Boston 25 News. It has been alleged that Alexandra, 26, lied to authorities about where the baby was and claimed to have given birth prematurely.
Eckersley story to first responders in the beginning was that she gave birth to a premature baby boy on a soccer field. According to police, crews searched in the wrong area for an hour before she told them where the tent and baby was.
According to the Manchester Fire Department, police discovered the child uncovered and struggling to breathe inside a tent near Electric Street near the Piscataquog River. The infant was taken to Catholic Medical Center by police. Currently, there is no information about the baby’s health.
Carl Olsen, a prosecutor stated, “This is an incredibly fortunate circumstance that the child was found when it was, and it didn’t delay further.”
According to WMUR, Eckersley, 26, pleaded not guilty during a phone hearing on Tuesday to charges of second-degree assault, endangering the welfare of a child, falsifying physical evidence and reckless conduct.
The outlet reported that Eckersley was homeless and living in a tent. According to Olson her family offered to help and provide her with a place to stay if she sought treatment, but she didn’t. According to officials, Eckersley’s mother believes incarceration is the safest place for her.
WMUR reported that her bail was set at $3,000. One condition of her bail is that Eckersley cannot have direct or indirect contact with her newborn son and that she must live at an approved sober living facility, with her parents, or at another residence approved by the state or court.
Eckersley pitched for the Indians, Red Sox, Cubs, Athletics, and Cardinals for 24 seasons between 1975 and 1998. In 1992, he won the AL MVP and AL Cy Young Awards in addition to six All-Star nods. After winning the ALCS MVP award in 1988, he won the World Series with the Athletics in 1989. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2004.