8-month-old girl found alone in Poplar Bluff home

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. — An 8-month-old girl was found at home alone Monday morning, and local authorities were searching for her mother and older sister.

“We’re concerned about the (older) child’s safety at this time,” Poplar Bluff deputy police chief Donnie Trout said. “Everything indicates she (19-year-old Jasmine Baldazo) had made arrangements with her parents in Arkansas to watch the child, but no one knows who they are or where they live.

“There is no indications of foul play or anything at her residence.”

About 9:35 a.m., police patrolman Jerry Cates was sent to a home in the 300 block of West Midland Street about a report of a unattended child.

Upon arriving, Cates contacted a woman who told him she was in her backyard when she saw a black man in his 20s exit the back door of Baldazo’s home, according to Cates’ report.

“(The man) asked if she knew the resident and further stated there was an unattended infant inside,” Cates said. “(The man) told her he was going to check places where the mother might be.”

Cates said the woman said she had entered the residence and “announced her presence. She noticed the interior of the residence was cluttered with several piles of dirty clothes throughout the residence. She heard a baby crying and found a small infant lying in a bed.”

When Cates entered the home, he said he found a crying infant in a front bedroom.

After conducting a security check and finding no one home, Cates picked up the infant, who stopped crying.

“I noticed an empty bottle near the infant,” Cates said. “There was a box fan running, pointing at the child, but the residence was still warm.”

Cates said he found the infant’s diaper to be “heavily saturated.”

Officials with the Butler County Juvenile Office and Missouri Children’s Division were requested and arrived at the scene, as did additional officers and Gerald Hughey of the Poplar Bluff Housing Authority.

Clothing was found for an older female child, who Hughey verified to be about 2 years old.

Based on information from neighbors, the older child is with relatives, Trout said.

“We don’t know where or who,” he said.

Trout said it appeared “provisions were made for the child (8-month-old) to stay there for an extended period of time.”

The infant was taken into custody by the juvenile officer and released to Children’s Division personnel, Cates said.

Officers left door hangers and business cards, asking the mother to contact them.

“We’ve been stopping by periodically to check,” Capt. David Sutton said. “The outside appearance, it looks like she has not been back to the residence.”

While at the residence, officers found two cans of formula and a few diapers, but no food was found in the refrigerator for the older child, Cates said.

Clothing and toys were found scattered through the house, Sgt. Chuck Harris said in his report.

Harris said he saw what he described as “filth and items scattered in the kitchen, including dirty dishes.”

The refrigerator’s interior was “filthy, along with the freezer compartment,” Harris said. “There were few (food) items located in each that had not spoiled.”

Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Jasmine or Julissa Baldazo is asked to contact the Poplar Bluff Police Department at (573) 785-5776.

Pertinent address:

300 block of West Midland Street, Poplar Bluff, Mo.