A mother from Loxahatchee, Florida, has been taken into custody after allegedly removing her 3-day-old baby from the neonatal intensive care unit, also known as the NICU. After taking the child from HCA Florida Palms West Hospital, she then stabbed several staff members who tried to intervene. The mother, identified as Kendra Greene, 31, was apprehended shortly after the incident.
The Loxahatchee mother is now facing charges after she allegedly removed her 3-day-old baby from NICU and initiated the stabbings. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reported that the incident occurred on Thursday night, around 10:30 p.m. Kendra Greene, 31, entered the NICU unit and took her infant. As she tried to leave the hospital, she was confronted by hospital staff. In response, Greene pulled out a knife and stabbed three staff members before fleeing the scene.
According to Teri Barbera, a spokeswoman for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Greene left the baby at a family member’s home and escaped before law enforcement arrived. Palm Beach County Fire Rescue promptly returned the infant to Palms West Hospital, where she is currently in stable condition. The three staff members who were injured in the incident received medical treatment for their non-life-threatening injuries and were discharged on the same night.
Julie Houston Trieste, a spokeswoman for HCA Florida Palms West Hospital, expressed gratitude for the recovery of their colleagues. She commended the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for their swift actions in arresting the suspect and ensuring the safe return of the baby. Trieste also mentioned that the hospital’s security team is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation conducted by law enforcement.
Greene has been booked into the main Palm Beach County jail, facing charges of aggravated child abuse and aggravated battery.