DSS: Infant's death was preventable

WARSAW -- Warsaw Police continue their search for the parents of a baby found dead behind an empty house earlier this week. In New Hanover County the Department of Social Services says the boy's death was preventable. There are safe and legal options for parents who want to give up a newborn. Under safe surrender laws parents can anonymously surrender a baby to any law enforcement agency, health care provider or the department of social services. The baby must be no more than seven days old and not harmed in any way. DSS says not enough people know about surrender laws. DSS assistant Wanda Marino said, "For almost seven years now there has been a law in North Carolina that gives individuals the right to surrender a baby without any kind of criminal circumstances or repercussion." Safe surrender laws have been in place in North Carolina for seven years. DSS says there have been five surrenders in New Hanover County since the laws went into effect, most of them at hospitals.