(RNN) – A Montana man was arrested and a 5-month-old baby is recovering after deputies found the baby unattended and buried under a pile of sticks in the woods.
Francis Carlton Crowley, 32, is being held on charges of criminal endangerment with additional charges to follow, according to a Facebook post from the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies received calls around 8 p.m. Saturday about a male suspect in Lolo, MT, later identified as Crowley, acting strangely and threatening people by saying he had a gun.
Crowley was later apprehended, and deputies learned a 5-month-old baby left in his care had not been seen for several hours.
According to the sheriff’s office, Crowley appeared to be under the influence of drugs during questioning.
The man indicated the baby was possibly buried somewhere in the mountains, so a ground search of the area was initiated.
After more than six hours of searching on foot, a deputy heard the baby crying faintly, the sheriff’s office reports.
Upon following the sound, he found the 5-month-old alive but face down and buried under a pile of sticks and debris around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
The baby was only clothed in a wet and soiled onesie, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies say the baby was alone in the woods for at least nine hours, and the temperature dropped to approximately 46 degrees that night.
The baby was transported to a local hospital and is in good condition.
“For all of us at the sheriffs office, this is what we call a miracle. For the officers who were present for this event, its especially hard knowing what this small baby endured in the last 24 hours,” wrote the sheriff’s office on Facebook.
Crowley is being held at the Missoula County Detention Facility on a $50,000 bond, according to the Missoulian. He is expected to appear in court Monday afternoon.
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