More Baby Blues At Home Depot

What the #@$%? During summer months we usually hear about pets abandoned by their vacationing owners...but babies? For the second time this week, a Home Depot store has been used as a baby depot. Tuesday, a toddler was found in the hot seat at HD Clifton, yesterday afternoon a tipster reports baby #2, only months old, was left behind at HD in Totowa:

Just came from the HD in Totowa - another abandoned baby was brought to the courtesy desk while I was transacting a return. Totowa police were on the scene.

Update: The Totowa store tipster tells us more:

I approached the customer service counter around 4:45-5:00 while another couple (in their 30s) was arguing with the counter reps. The discussion centered around whose responsibility it was to deal an infant who was sitting on the counter in a car seat. I also heard them say something about the heat in the parking lot. It seemed that the couple had already alerted another HD employee about the baby, though that employee hadn't (in their minds) taken appropriate action - thus the argument. The male shopper was pretty angry, and was cursing at the store clerks. The couple left the infant there on the counter and advised customer service to call child services or the police.

A customer service rep immediately made a call to (I'm assuming) the Totowa police. In the meantime a number of other store employees came up to the counter to see what was happening. Some of them were talking to the infant in baby speak, and someone placed a bottle of water next to the child. The baby was fully clothed, appeared totally at ease, and I did not hear any crying or notice any other signs of distress. Once the Totowa police arrived (within just a few minutes) I figured it was best to leave the scene. I do not know what transpired afterwards, but the child and police were still there at 5:15.

Borough police are trying to find out who left a months-old child in the parking lot of a Home Depot in Totowa.

A couple walked into the store about 5 p.m. and brought the little boy -- in a car seat -- to the front desk.

“They go up to the desk and say they found a baby in the parking lot,” Detective Dennis Blakeley said tonight. “Then they just leave without waiting for police.”

Police brought the baby, who was wearing a Thomas the Train jersey, to the hospital, where he was put under the care of the state Department of Children and Families, Blakeley said.

The baby, who Blakeley said has curly hair and appears to be Hispanic, is 5 to 8 months old.

Police are reviewing video from inside the store and don’t believe the couple who brought the child to the desk are the baby’s parents.