Man Leaves 5-Month-Old Baby In Woods — Because It Was Too Heavy To Carry

A man told investigators he left a 5-month-old baby boy in the woods after a weekend car crash because the baby was very heavy, court records said.

Officers found the baby — cold and hungry — under a pile of debris and sticks early Sunday, several hours after the crash.

Deputies were called to Lolo Hot Springs at 8 p.m. Saturday because Crowley was creating a disturbance and threatening to fire a gun, Missoula County prosecutors said. Officers learned he and the baby had been in a crash earlier that day.

Crowley was disoriented, likely because of drug use, and unable to help officers find the baby or say how long ago the crash had occurred, charging documents said.

“Officers continued to search in the various areas where the defendant stated the baby was located, but they had difficulty given the defendant’s numerous inconsistent statements about the baby’s whereabouts,” court records said. Crowley variously said the baby was lying on the side of the road or had died and was buried in the woods.