Lawmaker makes call for baby safe haven awareness

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HONOLULU — A Hawaii lawmaker is pushing for more awareness of the state’s Baby Safe Haven law after a newborn was found dead and abandoned in a Waikiki hotel room.

HONOLULU — A Hawaii lawmaker is pushing for more awareness of the state’s Baby Safe Haven law after a newborn was found dead and abandoned in a Waikiki hotel room.

Rep. John Mizuno tells the Honolulu Star-Advertiser the state needs a campaign to heighten awareness of the law that allows people to surrender unharmed infants up to 3 days old at a hospital, fire or police station with immunity from prosecution for abandonment.

The baby was found at about 7 p.m. Nov. 26.

The baby’s mother is a 32-year-old Korean national visiting Hawaii with her husband.

Honolulu police located her a few hours after the discovery of the child. The woman was arrested and released.

Results of an autopsy are pending and it’s not known whether the baby was born alive.