Kidnapped New York baby found alive at electrical plant passes away at hospital, mother charged

An 11-month-old baby who was reportedly kidnapped in upstate New York and subsequently found alive in a shed at an electrical plant campus passed away at the hospital, according to Fox News Digital.

The Schenectady Police Department issued an Amber Alert on Sunday around 10:00 a.m. for Halo Branton, noting that the baby was last seen at 12th Street at Campbell Avenue at around 9:15 p.m. on Saturday.

The child was reported missing from her home in the Bellevue neighborhood at around 11:00 p.m. on Saturday, according to Ryan Macherone, a Schenectady police officer. Officers soon showed up at the residence and began searching for the child.

Less than a day after the authorities launched a search for Halo, they reportedly discovered her on a General Electric campus. She was found alive, but she ultimately passed away while at the hospital.

Persia Nelson, 24, was charged with second-degree manslaughter. Prosecutors in the case also plan to file a new charge of depraved indifference murder. The authorities ultimately found Nelson on the campus when security discovered her in a heated building. When she was questioned about why she was there, she said she could not remember how she got there and that she had lost her child, according to WNYT.

Schenectady Police Chief Eric Clifford said: "It took some time, but officers were able to connect an address on Campbell Avenue to the female, and this ultimately led officers to the dead end of 12th Street, where they were able to identify where the female went with her baby in a location where she entered the GE campus."

Reports stated that Nelson dropped Halo down an eight-foot-deep pipe access area at the electrical plant. When the authorities found the 11-month-old, they identified water and mud at the base of the tunnel structure where she was found. This is what authorities believe ultimately led to the child's death.

Halo was quickly taken to Ellis Hospital to be treated, but she was pronounced dead at 1:24 p.m. An autopsy suggested that the child had died from exposure and hypothermia, according to investigators.

Clifford said: "Everybody can relate to a 1-year-old child being helpless. At the time, the adrenaline's rushing, you know, we're motivated to find her, but, you know, after the reality sets in, it's definitely taking a toll on everybody."

A judge set Nelson's bail at $500,000.

It is unclear how much time Nelson could spend behind bars if she is found guilty of the charges.

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