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Valley mother indicted for child abuse after baby was taken out of hospital in duffle bag

The mother allegedly took her baby out of Valleywise hospital against the advice of doctors. She's now been charged with child abuse.

PHOENIX — A Maricopa County grand jury has indicted the young mother accused of endangering her infant son after she allegedly took him out of Valleywise Health Medical Center by placing him in a duffle bag.

Rosa Santana, 24, has been charged with one count of child abuse, a Class 4 felony, after she allegedly took her 6-day-old son out of the hospital when he still needed medical treatment. The boy had been attached to a feeding tube.

The incident on July 12 triggered an Amber Alert search before police eventually found the baby safe at a west Phoenix apartment. Santana was taken into custody and the baby returned to the hospital.

“In this case, a child less than a week old was put in harms way. Our office will fight for justice for those who don’t have a voice and are most vulnerable," County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement.

*Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.*

Up to Speed

What is the Valley?:

“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest. 

The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:

  • Mesa
  • Chandler
  • Scottsdale
  • Tempe
  • Glendale
  • Surprise
  • Peoria
  • Gilbert
  • El Mirage
  • Avondale
  • Litchfield Park
  • Goodyear
  • Buckeye

Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.

The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.

How big is Maricopa County?:

Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.

The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).

One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.

The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.

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