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Milwaukee police looking for man that abandoned 9-month-old baby

Posted at 10:12 PM, Aug 11, 2017
and last updated 2017-08-11 23:20:14-04

Police are looking for a man after he allegedly left a 9-month-old boy alone on the side of a residential road on the city’s north side.

Police say around 2:40 p.m. near 75th and Casper Streets, a known suspect had an argument. He placed the child in his car seat along the roadway and left the area.

Jerry Wilkins was coming home from work when he saw what was going on.

“I seen the baby in this area sitting in the car seat,” Wilkins said. “[He was] calm, wasn’t crying or nothing. I seen the guy walk around and get in the car that was parked right here.”

Wilkins said he made eye contact with the man. He thought the situation was weird but nothing that caused alarm. So he continued home.

“I thought it was kind of odd he’d leave the baby right there but figured he was just getting something out of his car,” Wilkins said.

About 15 minutes later, Wilkins said someone from the nursing home nearby knocked on his door asking if he knew who's baby it was.

“I was like wow, he really left the baby,” Wilkins said. “Who would do that? It was heartless man. I don’t understand it.”

Wilkins is a father himself and the thought of abandoning a child made him upset.

“I thought man, did he forget his child?” Wilkins said. “But how could you? I knew if I seen him and you just walked this way, it’s not like you didn’t see the baby in the car seat. It could have turned out worse but thank god everything worked out for the best.”

Police said the child was reunited with family members unharmed. They are still looking for a known 22-year-old suspect for child neglect.