Inset: Ashley Marie Bailey (McLennan County Detention Center). Background: The apartment complex where Bailey allegedly abandoned a baby outside (Google Maps).
A 26-year-old mother in Texas has been taken into custody after reportedly abandoning a baby outside of the child’s father’s apartment, alerting him via text message and challenging him to inform the authorities. Ashley Marie Bailey was arrested last week and is facing a charge of abandoning or endangering a child without intending to return, authorities confirmed to Law&Crime.
Under state law, the abandoning charge is a third-degree felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a maximum possible fine of $10,000.
Per an arrest report accessed by Law&Crime, the alleged incident occurred at around 2:05 a.m. on August 20, at the University Terrace Apartments, located in the 1100 block of Speight Avenue in Waco, Texas. This location is approximately 100 miles south of Dallas.
Officers from the Waco Police Department were called to the scene following a report from the father, who stated that the baby was left unattended outside the apartment door while secured in a car seat, as reported by Waco CBS affiliate KWTX here.
Upon their arrival, the baby’s father recounted to the officers that Bailey had abandoned the child outside his apartment, subsequently sending him a text that stated, “come and get your baby…[she] is at the door. Bye. Talk to you tomorrow.”
In another text message, Bailey allegedly dared the child’s father to turn her in for abandoning the baby.
“IDC. Call CPS on me,” she reportedly wrote, presumably referring to Child Protective Services. “Get your kid, bro.”
Another message reportedly read: “IDC anymore. Hope you get her or someone else is going to her so it’s going to be bad.”
According to the police, Bailey initially texted the child’s father at 2:04 a.m. to inform him of the baby’s location. However, the father reported to investigators that he hadn’t seen the message for around 40 minutes, during which time the baby remained outside alone.
In several additional messages sent that evening, Bailey was reportedly pleading with the father to open the apartment door and retrieve the child.
Officers at about 3 a.m. went to Bailey’s home in the 700 block of Eagles Nest Drive and placed her under arrest and transported her to the McLennan County Jail for processing. She was later released on bond. It was not immediately clear when she was scheduled to appear in court again.
Authorities did not clarify Bailey’s relationship to the child and the police department did not immediately respond to a request for additional information from Law&Crime.
