Residents of New Village are expressing relief after a missing baby boy was safely reunited with his family following an anxious 48-hour search.
The incident had sparked widespread concern within the community, particularly amid reports that the infant had been taken by a relative.
Community resident Michael Phillips said the situation quickly became distressing for those familiar with the family.
“I know who the baby was, I know the mother, the grandfather, I know the whole family of that child,” Phillips explained. “When we got the information, we heard it was a family member who took the child, a family member who is mentally unstable. It became a big concern in the community.”
He noted that uncertainty over the child’s wellbeing heightened fears during the search.
“We did not see the baby anywhere, so we did not know if the person had anything for the child, like milk or water, before the child became dehydrated,” he said.
The situation was brought to a resolution on Sunday morning when police located the infant.
“Around 9:30am I saw the police jeep arrive with some family members, and the child was there with the unstable family member,” Phillips recounted. “They took the child to the hospital to check up on different things.”
Authorities have not released further details on the condition of the infant, but residents say the outcome has brought a sense of calm back to the area.
“Right now, the community is at ease, and we are good to know the baby was found,” Phillips said.
He described the ordeal as a serious and potentially dangerous situation.
“The child could have died, you understand. It is a serious situation,” he stressed. “Now the baby is back in the hands of the mother, the father and the grandmother.”
Phillips also called for greater vigilance moving forward.
“There has to be very precautionary right now,” he added.
The incident has underscored concerns about child safety and the importance of swift community and law enforcement response in emergency situations.