Alexandra Eckersley (26-year-old adoptee of Dennis Eckersley in MLB’s first-ballot Hall of Famer) was arrested Monday. She was charged with felony reckless behavior, second-degree attack/extreme indifference, and endangering a child’s welfare. Also, she was accused of falsifying evidence after giving birth to her child in the woods on Christmas Eve and then abandoning the child.
Eckersley was arrested by the Manchester Police Department in New Hampshire. She claimed that she deliberately misled authorities about the whereabouts of the child.
The statement said, “Manchester Police, Fire, and American Medical Response personnel searched for the child in the location where she directed them.” “However, they were unable to find the child.”
“After almost an hour, the mother disclosed the exact location of the baby to officers and they led them to the area. Officers located the baby and took him to an EMT for treatment.”
Around 12:40 a.m., Dec. 26, police responded to a call regarding Eckersley, a homeless person. It was located near the West Side Arena. According to Manchester’s WMUR TV, the child was found in a tent just off a footpath.
At the time, it was reported that the temperature was 18 degrees Fahrenheit.
Manchester Police Chief Allen Aldenberg told CBS News, “Had we not collectively located that little boy when we did and rendered the first aid that was rendered, I’m quite confident the child probably would have died in that tent.”
According to an affidavit, via Boston Fox affiliate WFXT, Eckersley told EMTs “she had no idea she was pregnant and that she felt she had to use the bathroom.”
When asked why she left the baby, she replied, “What do they tell you when a plane goes down? Save yourself first.”
Manchester Police suspect Eckersley was using drugs.
Dennis Eckersley, 68, was inducted into Cooperstown in 2004 after owning a 3.50 ERA over his 24 years of MLB service. His longest time spent with one team was in Oakland with the Athletics, posting a 2.74 ERA as one of the best relievers in baseball with 320 saves over 525 appearances.
He spent eight years as a broadcaster for the Boston Red Sox, and he announced his retirement earlier this year.
Manchester continues to investigate the matter.
