Police arrested a foreign couple for abandoning an infant near a drainage canal in Udon Thani. The baby girl later died despite rescue efforts.
The incident came to light yesterday evening, June 10, when three children aged between 10 and 12 discovered the baby beneath a tree near a canal bank in the Don Udom community. The children had reportedly gone to the area to fish when they found the infant.
Rescue workers were alerted and arrived at the scene to provide emergency assistance. CPR was administered before the baby was transported to hospital. Unfortunately, medical staff were later unable to save the child’s life.
Officers from Mueang Udon Thani Police Station told Channel 7 that the infant was a girl aged approximately two weeks old. Her body was still warm when discovered but showed no pulse.
Investigators reviewed security camera footage from the surrounding area and identified two foreign nationals who were allegedly involved in abandoning the child.
According to police, CCTV footage showed a man believed to be a European national and a woman identified as an American national walking along a road behind Santiwan Temple before entering Soi Chan Charoensuk.
Police said the pair stopped near a canal-side residence, where cameras captured them placing the infant beneath a tree before leaving the area via a different route.
During the investigation, officers interviewed staff at accommodation businesses nearby. One employee reportedly told police that a foreign man had enquired about room rates but decided not to stay after learning that a room cost 1,400 baht per night.
Further inquiries led investigators to identify the two suspects, both aged 29. Police have not publicly released their names.
Authorities also allege that the foreign couple carried out a ritual involving the infant at a coffee shop in the province before the child was abandoned. Police have not provided further details regarding the alleged ritual.
According to local news outlet Khao Udon Khao Home Cable, officers arrested the two accused at a hotel in central Udon Thani this afternoon.
The pair remain in police custody while investigators continue questioning them. Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and that the motive behind the incident has not yet been established.
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