Baby found in New Mexico dumpster is stable

This security agent saves a baby at the airport 0:45

(CNN) -

A newborn baby found by people rummaging through a dumpster is in stable condition, said the acting chief of police in Hobbs, New Mexico.

Two men and a woman called 911 Friday night and reported that they had found a baby.

The group told officers they had been searching a garbage container for something of value when they heard what they thought was a crying baby and pulled out a black garbage bag and found the baby inside, authorities said.

The woman in the group held the boy, trying to keep him warm, while one of the men called police, Chief August Fons said at a news conference Monday.

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"We just found a baby in the trash," says a man, as can be heard on the audio of a 911 call, local news station KRQE reported.

"He's very cold and ... very, very, very weak," a woman on the call is heard saying, according to KRQE.

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The group's "rapid collective response to this emergency, including 911 notification, was absolutely critical in saving this baby's life," the police chief said.

The baby was taken away by an agent, turned over to Emergency Medical Services personnel, and flown to a local hospital before being airlifted to a medical facility in Lubbock, Texas.

The baby is in stable condition, Fons said.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby store and saw a white vehicle approaching the dumpster around 2:00 p.m., Fons said.

The baby was in the dump for about six hours before being found, he added.

The 18-year-old mother was charged with premeditated attempted murder and, alternatively, a felony child abuse, Fons said.

She was arrested and processed in jail on Saturday night and released shortly thereafter.

A lawyer representing the young woman said that "what happened is already a tragedy for her family and the community."

The young woman voluntarily met with detectives during their investigation and told them she did not know she was pregnant until Thursday, when she went to the doctor for "abdominal pain and constipation," the chief said at the news conference.

She told investigators that she experienced a stomach ache on Friday and "gave birth unexpectedly," she said.

"She further explained that she panicked, she didn't know what to do or who to call," Fons added.

The mother then placed the baby in garbage bags and drove before deciding to put the baby in the garbage container.

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Investigators for the young woman's parents said they did not know their daughter was pregnant and only knew that she had some stomach problems, authorities said.

Authorities are now working to arrange an interview with the baby's alleged father.

The young woman's first court appearance is scheduled for Wednesday, Hobbs police said in a news release.

Anyone who wants to make a donation for the child can do so at the New Mexico Department of Children, Youth and Families office, the statement added.

Police and fire departments are designated as Safe Haven sites, the chief added.

"A person may leave a baby with the staff of a safe haven site without being subject to criminal prosecution for neglect or abuse if the baby was born within 90 days of being left at the safe haven site, according to is determined within a reasonable degree of medical certainty, and was not left in a condition that would constitute neglect or abuse of a child, "said Fons.

The police chief advised anyone who may be in a similar situation to contact the authorities for help.