Mother convicted of endangerment in ‘Baby Noel’ case

A mother who abandoned her newborn baby girl in a cardboard box four days before Christmas last year was found guilty of endangering the welfare of a child Friday but acquitted of attempted murder.

Patricia Crawley, 33, of Philadelphia, was also convicted of reckless endangerment and simple assault and acquitted of aggravated assault.

She was arrested in February, tracked down by police after a custodian found her child, in a box in the trash outside of Rainbow Day Care Center at 26th and Huntingdon Streets in North Philadelphia.

The baby, referred to as Baby Jane Doe at trial, was popularly dubbed "Baby Noel" after her discovery during the holidays.

In his opening statement at Friday's trial, defense attorney Patrick Link said Crawley's "moral compass that day was not completely intact."

Assistant District Attorney Tiffany Oldfield called a series of witnesses to the stand, including the E.R. doctor who cared for Baby Noel and the detective who questioned Crawley after arrest.

Philadelphia Police Detective Daniel O'Malley of the Special Victims Unit read from Crawley's statement, in which she admitted to being high on crack cocaine at the time she gave birth.

"I was kind of passed out a little bit," Crawley said in the statement. "Everything was kind of bleary, because I was getting high."

In the statement, Crawley said she was embarrassed about being high and having the baby, and so was unwilling to enlist help. Instead, Crawley placed the baby in a cardboard box, wrapped in a sweater, robe, towel, and blanket, and left the box on the side of the day-care center.

"I knew she would be OK," the statement reads. "I was praying to God she got found."

She was found, by a 77-year-old part-time helper at the neighboring church, who was sweeping the sidewalk when he heard what sounded like cats.

Oldfield said in closing argument that Crawley was guilty of attempted murder because the baby was left in a box in the winter, near trash on trash day and not by a school or church nearby. Crawley intended to have the baby thrown out with the trash, Oldfield argued.

"You don't get out of your criminal conduct because you take some crack," Oldfield said. "She had nothing on her mind, just throwing the baby out with the trash."

Link did not defend the morality of his client's actions, but said Crawley did not attempt murder because she intended for the baby to be found in good condition.

"The thought in her drug-hazed, sleep-deprived, crazy mind at this point was not, 'I'm going to kill this baby,'" Link said in his closing arguments. "Who knows what's going through her mind?"

Crawley's condition at the time, Link said, meant that her decision to leave the baby in a box outside was done without the legally-defined malice that would indicate attempted murder.

"In her mind, she was probably doing the best thing she could for that baby," Link said. "We're not here to say, 'You made the wrong decision.' That is clear."

Judge Alice Dubow appeared to agree, declaring Crawley not guilty of attempted murder or aggravated assault to an audible gasp from Crawley. Dubow did find Crawley guilty of endangering the welfare of a child, reckless endangerment, and simple assault.

The trial was argued solely before the judge, Crawley having waived her right to a jury trial.

Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10.