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Florida Mom Accused Of Abandoning 3-Month-Old With Family Of Her Ex's New Girlfriend
The infant that Melissa Kelley allegedly abandoned was found to have scabies, a rash caused by mites burrowing under the skin.
A Florida mother was arrested after allegedly abandoning her 3-month-old baby with the family of her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend last week.
Police said that Melissa Kelley, 33, walked up to a Deltona, Florida home the night of Nov. 15 with her infant and a can of powdered formula in a carrier. When a woman in the home came to the door, she appeared to have no idea who she was speaking to, as seen on home security footage obtained by WESH News.
Kelley is said to have informed the resident that her daughter was dating the baby's father, and allegedly said she could no longer care for the child and that he would eventually pick the infant up, as heard on 911 dispatch audio obtained by the station.
“She just pushed her baby in the door and walked away,” the woman told the dispatcher. “I don’t know her name. I have no idea who she is.”
The resident then attempted to call her daughter’s boyfriend, 28-year-old Clayton Zinck, but was unable to reach him, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. Zinck’s parents said they weren’t able to pick up the baby and were unwilling to wake their sleeping son, according to an arrest report obtained by the newspaper.
Kelley allegedly had texted several relatives in the days leading up to this incident, expressing her inability to care for her son. She allegedly considered killing herself via overdose after Zinck ended their relationship, FOX 35 reports.
“Please don’t make me throw this baby in the trash,” she allegedly texted one family member, according to the station.
Kelley’s son was found to have scabies, a rash caused by mites burrowing under the skin, WESH reports. He was taken to the hospital and placed in the custody of the Department of Children and Families.
Kelley was arrested and charged with unlawful desertion of a child and child neglect. She was released on a $2,000 bond last Tuesday, according to online inmate records.
It’s unclear if Kelley has an attorney who can comment on her behalf.
