Infant wearing only a diaper found abandoned in car seat on median of a busy road on Christmas

ADAMS COUNTY, Colo. (TCN) -- A 42-year-old man and 33-year-old woman were taken into custody for allegedly abandoning their newborn son on the median of a busy thoroughfare while he was wearing only a diaper.

According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office, on Dec. 25 at approximately 9:20 a.m., a passerby called 911 to say they found the child on Pecos Street. Detectives arrived and canvassed the area for surveillance footage that could help lead them to the child’s parents. That night, just before 9 p.m., investigators arrested Jarvis Sims and Christina Thurman for felony child abuse.

The child was transported to a nearby hospital for observation as a precaution.

The sheriff’s office posted photos of the carrier the child had been left in, which included a sticker that said "Display only. Not intended for sale."

KDVR-TV reports the 1-month-old child allegedly had cocaine in his system when he was found. Sims, his father, was reportedly taking care of him that day after Sims and Thurman got into an argument. Thurman’s family said they are "trying everything to get the baby back. He belongs with family."

Court records cited by KMGH-TV allege Sims brought the child outside their house following the fight and told Thurman to "come get the baby, to which she refused." Sims reportedly left the boy on the sidewalk, then "went home because he had to work in the morning."

Thurman allegedly saw Sims abandon the boy on the median and "due to not wanting to create more problems, she turned around."

The boy is in the care of Child Protective Services.

Thurman’s cousin told KMGH, "We were so excited to spend our first Christmas with him. We got robbed of that."

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