Deputies say a newborn baby initially thought to be abandoned outside a Volusia County convenience store was actually left there by the man who reported finding the infant there, naked and wrapped in newspaper.
Ralph Garlick Jr. had told deputies he heard the sound of a baby crying and discovered the infant girl around 2:30 a.m. Monday outside the DeBary Food Mart, on South Charles R. Beall Boulevard.
But deputies said Garlick later admitted he lied about "finding" the baby. They said he eventually told investigators his girlfriend had given birth to the child earlier that morning at the Oak Shade Apartments, in Orange City.
Garlick, 53, told deputies he is not the baby's father, but he was trying to bring the baby to a safe location because his girlfriend didn't want to keep the baby.
Deputies said Garlick also lied about his own name, initially identifying himself as Charles Garlick, the name of his dead brother.
Paramedics arrived and took the baby by ambulance to Arnold Palmer for Children, in Orlando, after a newspaper delivery man whom Garlick had flagged down for help called 911.
The delivery man, Anthony Ackeridge, had Garlick bring the baby into his van while he called for help.
"A gentleman flagged me down and said he found a baby over here," Ackeridge said. "He was actually pretty calm standing over there. He had the baby wrapped up in a towel and also his shirt to try and keep the baby as warm as possible, and I told him to go ahead and get in my van.
The Florida Department of Children and Families said the baby was in good health at Winnie Palmer Hospital, where she will remain for the next several days.
"We believe this setting offers the best quality of care for her at this time," DCF said in a statement released Monday afternoon. "Her admission allows child protection officials the opportunity to further explore all of the circumstances which led to her discovery, confirmation of the identity of the birth parents and intention of the actions of those involved, before making any final and legal decisions on the newborn's behalf."
The child's mother was found and taken to Central Florida Regional Hospital, in Sanford, where investigators said they were interviewing her to get her side of the story.
Garlick was arrested and charged with knowingly giving false information to law enforcement during an investigation, and resisting an officer without violence. He was booked into the Volusia County Jail on a $5,000 bond.
In the state of Florida, Safe Haven laws allow birth parents to safely drop off unwanted children up to 7 days old at a fire station or hospital without facing charges. DCF said infants surrendered through the Safe Haven Law are directly placed with approved adopted parents through private adoption agencies, and do not enter the foster care system.
However, since that did not happen in this case, as Garlick left the baby at a convenience store, more charges could be pending.