Authorities are investigating after a passerby discovered a 15-month-old child sitting in a ditch in rural Adams County Saturday morning.
According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Department, deputies were dispatched around 8:01 a.m. to the 2000 block of South Marian Road after a concerned citizen reported finding what appeared to be an infant alongside the roadway.
Hastings Fire and Rescue responded and transported the child to Mary Lanning Hospital for evaluation. The child’s current condition has not been released.
A criminal investigation is now underway to determine how the child ended up there and who may be responsible. The Nebraska State Patrol, Hastings Police Department, and the Department of Health and Human Services are assisting in the case.
The Sheriff’s Department is asking anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area early Saturday morning to call 402-461-7181 or email weichman@adamscountyne.gov.
“The safety and well-being of the child is our top priority,” officials said in a statement. No further identifying details are being released at this time due to the child’s age.