There is now a boiling point of media coverage of Massachusetts lack of a Baby
Safe Haven law. Even Adam Pertman spoke out on the # 1 Boston talk radio
station, debating Mike Morrisey.
Morrisey - "Your report is a fraud." (Unintended Consequences)
Pertman - "Oh my God!"
===================
MASSACHUSETTS
http://www.heraldnews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10456305&BRD=1710&PAG=461&d
ept_id=99784&rfi=6
Baby hoax uncovered

GREGG M. MILIOTE , Herald News Staff Reporter 11/04/2003

SWANSEA -- The woman who told police she had found an abandoned baby in the
back of her car Saturday morning is actually the mother of the child and could
now face criminal charges for filing a false police report.

Barbara T. O’Leary, 36, of 60 Ocean View Ave., initially told police she
found the 2-day-old infant boy in the back of her car while running errands
Saturday morning. The baby, Tyler O’Leary, was found in the rear of her car
in a cardboard box with a note, police said.

After 24 hours of searching for the baby’s mother, O’Leary was
re-interviewed Sunday night at which time she revealed Tyler was actually her
child.

Police Chief George Arruda said investigators who searched O’Leary’s Ocean
View Avenue home found evidence that corroborates her statements.

Arruda said O’Leary, who has two other young children, hid her pregnancy and
ended up giving birth to Tyler on Halloween inside her small cottage
overlooking the Coles River.

The next day, she apparently woke up and set up her plan.

"There have been major personal incidents in this woman’s life that I cannot
get into at this time," Arruda said. "This really is a tragedy for her, but she
understands she made the wrong decision."

Arruda said Tyler, who was taken to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall River
Saturday, is in very good health.

Massachusetts Department of Social Services spokeswoman Denise Monteiro said
Tyler has been temporarily placed in "a loving foster home."

DSS took over custody of the infant Monday morning when a Fall River District
Court judge provided DSS officials with a Care and Protect Order granting the
department temporary custody of Tyler.

Monteiro said investigators and case workers were in the area Monday afternoon
to interview O’Leary.

"It’s a very fluid situation right now," Monteiro said. "We don’t even know
if Ms. O’Leary wants to keep the child. The most important thing right now is
that Tyler is in a stable environment and a suitable home."

She said she could not comment on whether DSS will take action and attempt to
gain custody of O’Leary’s other two children.

"The other two children were told what happened because they were unaware of
what was going on," Monteiro said. "They are now staying with another family
member."

Although O’Leary and her children were not at home to make a comment Monday,
Arruda described O’Leary as "distraught."

"This is a tragic situation involving a woman who is dealing with a very
difficult personal situation," Arruda explained. "But there has been a crime
committed here."

Arruda was scheduled to meet with the Bristol County District Attorney’s
Office Monday afternoon to determine what, if any, charges would be filed
against O’Leary. He did concede that a misdemeanor charge of filing a false
police report would likely be lodged against the mother.

Assistant District Attorney Gerald FitzGerald said late Monday afternoon that
no decision had been made on any potential charges.

Arruda also asked legislators to look into potential "safe haven" laws in
Massachusetts.

The Bay State is one of only five states that doesn’t have a state-wide safe
haven law that allows parents to drop their child off at a safe place like a
police station or hospital without facing abandonment charges for doing so.

"Safe haven laws need to be looked into. The state has to investigate this,"
Arruda said. "We have to have an avenue where people can go, so we don’t have
to find an abandoned baby in a Dumpster someday.

"People need to seek help in these situations."

While no one answered the door at the O’Leary household, a family dog was
present inside.

Neighbors in the small community were shocked to learn the news of what
occurred right next door.

One neighbor who refused to identify herself said, "We like to keep to
ourselves here," while another said the news was "sad."

A woman who only gave her first name of Anita said although she never met
O’Leary, she believes the mother was scared and didn’t know what to do.

"She should have brought the baby to a place where he would be safe and taken
care of," Anita said.

But Nel Tew, O’Leary’s next-door neighbor, said O’Leary "must have been
sick to do what she did."

"That’s just not normal," Tew said. "But I never met the lady and never even
knew she was pregnant."

Various other neighbors said they, too, had never met O’Leary but believed
she had been living in the rented home for less than a year.

Gregg M. Miliote may be reached at gmiliote@heraldnews.com.

"BabySafeHaven" <babysafehaven@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031104091441.13931.00000200@mb-m04.aol.com...
Barbara T. O'Leary, 36, of 60 Ocean View Ave., initially told police she found the 2-day-old infant boy in the back of her car while running
errands Saturday morning. The baby, Tyler O'Leary, was found in the rear of her
car in a cardboard box with a note, police said.

O'Leary was close enough to RI, which does have a baby dump law, to be able
to drive there in 10 minutes.

She had a viable choice to go where it's legal to anonymously dump her baby.
The fact that she didn't do so speaks volumes about how ineffective these
laws really are.

Cate

"Cate" <orson14850invalid@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:bo8j4e$1ak57e$1@ID-137534.news.uni-berlin.de... "BabySafeHaven" <babysafehaven@aol.com> wrote in message news:20031104091441.13931.00000200@mb-m04.aol.com... Barbara T. O'Leary, 36, of 60 Ocean View Ave., initially told police she found the 2-day-old infant boy in the back of her car while running errands Saturday morning. The baby, Tyler O'Leary, was found in the rear of her car in a cardboard box with a note, police said. O'Leary was close enough to RI, which does have a baby dump law, to be
able to drive there in 10 minutes. She had a viable choice to go where it's legal to anonymously dump her
baby. The fact that she didn't do so speaks volumes about how ineffective these laws really are. Cate

And if you read today's Boston Globe you will also note that Ms. O'Leary
was a small business owner, the mother of 2 daughters, and married to a
lawyer until recently (he may be the father of Tyler). Her own mother was a
foster care provider. . From the article it appears that she was well aware
of her pregnancy and chose to hide it. Ms.O'Leary went though a series of
personal crises the past couple of years: losing her business and home, a
bitter divorce and custody battle and undoubtedly a few days ago reached the
breaking point. Please note that she did not abandon her baby: she simply
filed a false police report. That she was unaware of services available to
her, including adoption counseling, is absurd. Would a SH law have helped
this poor soul? Need we even debate the issue?

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/308/metro/Minivan_driver_is_infant_s_mother+.shtml

Marley

<<<<And if you read today's Boston Globe you will also note that Ms. O'Leary
was a small business owner, the mother of 2 daughters, and married to a
lawyer until recently (he may be the father of Tyler). Her own mother was a
foster care provider. . From the article it appears that she was well aware
of her pregnancy and chose to hide it. Ms.O'Leary went though a series of
personal crises the past couple of years: losing her business and home, a
bitter divorce and custody battle and undoubtedly a few days ago reached the
breaking point. Please note that she did not abandon her baby: she simply
filed a false police report. That she was unaware of services available to
her, including adoption counseling, is absurd. Would a SH law have helped
this poor soul? Need we even debate the issue?

http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/308/metro/Minivan_driver_is_infant_s_mot
her+.shtml

Marley>>>>>

We in MA are very aware of Ms. O'Leary's personal story. The pictures of her
house in an exclusive area, and interviews with neighbors have been all over
the Boston TV media.
As long time Boston talk show host Pat Whitley stated during his moderating of
the debate between Mike and Adam, "This may have been a near miss, it could
have been a lot worse." Thank God it wasn't. What this story did do was bring
about a lot of awareness about Baby Safe Haven laws without the cloud of a
terrible tragedy riling up emotions. Now many cities and towns are making very
clear decisions about passing a Baby Safe Haven home rule petition, including
the little town of Swansea. Upon contact they requested the Framingham, Natick
and Ludlow data to begin the proper legislative process to pass in their town.
Jean

BabySafeHaven wrote:
There is now a boiling point of media coverage of Massachusetts lack of a Baby Safe Haven law.

Tragedy pimping again, I see.

Ron

And your "BabySafeHaven" <babysafehaven@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031104091441.13931.00000200@mb-m04.aol.com... There is now a boiling point of media coverage of Massachusetts lack of a
Baby Safe Haven law. Even Adam Pertman spoke out on the # 1 Boston talk radio station, debating Mike Morrisey. Morrisey - "Your report is a fraud." (Unintended Consequences)

And your claim that the rate of baby abandonment hasn't chaged in 3000 years
isnt'?
Pertman - "Oh my God!"

No doubt he was laughing.

Marley

=================== MASSACHUSETTS http://www.heraldnews.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10456305&BRD=1710&PAG=461&d ept_id=99784&rfi=6 Baby hoax uncovered GREGG M. MILIOTE , Herald News Staff Reporter 11/04/2003 SWANSEA -- The woman who told police she had found an abandoned baby in
the back of her car Saturday morning is actually the mother of the child and
could now face criminal charges for filing a false police report. Barbara T. O'Leary, 36, of 60 Ocean View Ave., initially told police she found the 2-day-old infant boy in the back of her car while running
errands Saturday morning. The baby, Tyler O'Leary, was found in the rear of her
car in a cardboard box with a note, police said. After 24 hours of searching for the baby's mother, O'Leary was re-interviewed Sunday night at which time she revealed Tyler was actually
her child. Police Chief George Arruda said investigators who searched O'Leary's Ocean View Avenue home found evidence that corroborates her statements. Arruda said O'Leary, who has two other young children, hid her pregnancy
and ended up giving birth to Tyler on Halloween inside her small cottage overlooking the Coles River. The next day, she apparently woke up and set up her plan. "There have been major personal incidents in this woman's life that I
cannot get into at this time," Arruda said. "This really is a tragedy for her,
but she understands she made the wrong decision." Arruda said Tyler, who was taken to Charlton Memorial Hospital in Fall
River Saturday, is in very good health. Massachusetts Department of Social Services spokeswoman Denise Monteiro
said Tyler has been temporarily placed in "a loving foster home." DSS took over custody of the infant Monday morning when a Fall River
District Court judge provided DSS officials with a Care and Protect Order granting
the department temporary custody of Tyler. Monteiro said investigators and case workers were in the area Monday
afternoon to interview O'Leary. "It's a very fluid situation right now," Monteiro said. "We don't even
know if Ms. O'Leary wants to keep the child. The most important thing right now
is that Tyler is in a stable environment and a suitable home." She said she could not comment on whether DSS will take action and attempt
to gain custody of O'Leary's other two children. "The other two children were told what happened because they were unaware
of what was going on," Monteiro said. "They are now staying with another
family member." Although O'Leary and her children were not at home to make a comment
Monday, Arruda described O'Leary as "distraught." "This is a tragic situation involving a woman who is dealing with a very difficult personal situation," Arruda explained. "But there has been a
crime committed here." Arruda was scheduled to meet with the Bristol County District Attorney's Office Monday afternoon to determine what, if any, charges would be filed against O'Leary. He did concede that a misdemeanor charge of filing a
false police report would likely be lodged against the mother. Assistant District Attorney Gerald FitzGerald said late Monday afternoon
that no decision had been made on any potential charges. Arruda also asked legislators to look into potential "safe haven" laws in Massachusetts. The Bay State is one of only five states that doesn't have a state-wide
safe haven law that allows parents to drop their child off at a safe place like
a police station or hospital without facing abandonment charges for doing
so. "Safe haven laws need to be looked into. The state has to investigate
this," Arruda said. "We have to have an avenue where people can go, so we don't
have to find an abandoned baby in a Dumpster someday. "People need to seek help in these situations." While no one answered the door at the O'Leary household, a family dog was present inside. Neighbors in the small community were shocked to learn the news of what occurred right next door. One neighbor who refused to identify herself said, "We like to keep to ourselves here," while another said the news was "sad." A woman who only gave her first name of Anita said although she never met O'Leary, she believes the mother was scared and didn't know what to do. "She should have brought the baby to a place where he would be safe and
taken care of," Anita said. But Nel Tew, O'Leary's next-door neighbor, said O'Leary "must have been sick to do what she did." "That's just not normal," Tew said. "But I never met the lady and never
even knew she was pregnant." Various other neighbors said they, too, had never met O'Leary but believed she had been living in the rented home for less than a year. Gregg M. Miliote may be reached at gmiliote@heraldnews.com.

<<<Tragedy pimping again, I see.
Ron>>>

Only thing, that as you so eloquently put it, that was being *pimped* was
Adam's book.
We were out of town at a family reunion over the weekend, unaware of the story,
and returned very early Monday morning. Adam called the media first as far as
we know, and set up the debate.
The radio station called us to be the proponents in the debate.

The end result is that at least five more state reps and senators have come out
in the media calling for quick passage of a true Baby Safe Haven law. The
Governor was on a talk show tonight, and said he wanted passage too.
Pertman - "Oh my God!"No doubt he was laughing.
Marley

Think again, because it sure sounded like crying to me, as his performance was
nothing to laugh about.

Jean

"BabySafeHaven" <babysafehaven@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031104165116.05775.00000221@mb-m27.aol.com... <<<<And if you read today's Boston Globe you will also note that Ms.
O'Leary was a small business owner, the mother of 2 daughters, and married to a lawyer until recently (he may be the father of Tyler). Her own mother was
a foster care provider. . From the article it appears that she was well
aware of her pregnancy and chose to hide it. Ms.O'Leary went though a series of personal crises the past couple of years: losing her business and home,
a bitter divorce and custody battle and undoubtedly a few days ago reached
the breaking point. Please note that she did not abandon her baby: she simply filed a false police report. That she was unaware of services available
to her, including adoption counseling, is absurd. Would a SH law have helped this poor soul? Need we even debate the issue? http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/308/metro/Minivan_driver_is_infant_s_mot her+.shtml Marley>>>>> We in MA are very aware of Ms. O'Leary's personal story. The pictures of
her house in an exclusive area, and interviews with neighbors have been all
over the Boston TV media. As long time Boston talk show host Pat Whitley stated during his
moderating of the debate between Mike and Adam, "This may have been a near miss, it
could have been a lot worse." Thank God it wasn't. What this story did do was
bring about a lot of awareness about Baby Safe Haven laws without the cloud of a terrible tragedy riling up emotions. Now many cities and towns are making
very clear decisions about passing a Baby Safe Haven home rule petition,
including the little town of Swansea. Upon contact they requested the Framingham,
Natick and Ludlow data to begin the proper legislative process to pass in their
town. Jean

This case wasn't even close to an abandonment or worse. As soon as I read
about I suspected it was the mother who found the baby. It happens all the
time. It happened in Portales a couple weeks ago. Are you trying to argue
that Ms. O'Leary and Tyler would have been better off if she'd gone to a SH
and spammed him annon. and walked away with no shame, no blame no name? And
what about Tyler's father. Has he no right to know?

I wouldn't count your chickens yet. You can home-rule all you want, and
it's still up to Beacon Hill.

Marley

"BabySafeHaven" <babysafehaven@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031104224306.25850.00000376@mb-m28.aol.com... <<<Tragedy pimping again, I see. Ron>>> Only thing, that as you so eloquently put it, that was being *pimped* was Adam's book. We were out of town at a family reunion over the weekend, unaware of the
story, and returned very early Monday morning. Adam called the media first as far
as we know, and set up the debate. The radio station called us to be the proponents in the debate.

And you wouldn't? The end result is that at least five more state reps and senators have
come out in the media calling for quick passage of a true Baby Safe Haven law. The Governor was on a talk show tonight, and said he wanted passage too.

Funny, I've heard a little different story. Pertman - "Oh my God!"No doubt he was laughing.Marley Think again, because it sure sounded like crying to me, as his performance
was nothing to laugh about. Jean

Are you you quoted Adam correctly?

Marley

<<<> in the media calling for quick passage of a true Baby Safe Haven law. The Governor was on a talk show tonight, and said he wanted passage too.

Funny, I've heard a little different story.<<<

Marley>>>

Produce the written proof Marley. We have Administration's testimony from the
hearing in June, as given by the Lt. Governor, the policy expert in this field.
She's a Ph.D. policy research specialist in social and criminal administration
fields. So I guess you heard wrong again.
Jean

And your point? The Lt. Gov. does not control Beacon Hill, no matter what
you want to think.

Marley



"BabySafeHaven" <babysafehaven@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031104232059.19456.00000191@mb-m18.aol.com... <<<> in the media calling for quick passage of a true Baby Safe Haven law.
The Governor was on a talk show tonight, and said he wanted passage too. Funny, I've heard a little different story.<<< Marley>>> Produce the written proof Marley. We have Administration's testimony from
the hearing in June, as given by the Lt. Governor, the policy expert in this
field. She's a Ph.D. policy research specialist in social and criminal
administration fields. So I guess you heard wrong again. Jean