A newborn baby was found dead Wednesday night at the Blanshard Centre shopping plaza, and Victoria police say they are concerned about the welfare of the mother.
Police and paramedics responded about 10 p.m. to the plaza at Bay and Blanshard streets and found the infant on the sidewalk just outside the plaza’s Subway restaurant.
Police believe the baby had been born not long before, possibly in the vicinity, and the mother could need medical attention.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit has taken over the investigation.
No further details were immediately available from police.
A Subway staff member who did not want be named said a passerby found the baby in a shopping bag, and the restaurant was quickly closed down. The spot where the baby had been was cleaned by firefighters with water and a broom Thursday morning.
The plaza was largely behind police tape until about 10:15 a.m. Thursday.
Investigators could be seen outside the Subway and taking photographs around the property. Officers in white coveralls, masks and purple gloves were examining large garbage bins some distance away, as well as the inside of the Subway.
A group of Major Crime Unit officers was inside the Subway shortly before the police tape came down and appeared to examine the washroom area.
Nick Cooknell, who lives directly across Blanshard from the plaza, said he was up and about until early morning and didn’t hear or see anything.
“It was pretty quiet,” he said.
Cooknell said his mother saw what was happening when she left for work about 4:30 a.m.
He was shocked to hear a baby had been found. “It’s sad.”
Chris Bork, an employee at Tapestry Music in the plaza, said it was inaccessible when he arrived at work before the regular opening time of 10 a.m.
“I walked down here and saw all the yellow tape and everything,” he said.
He said he thought at first that the tape was just around Subway, “but it turns out it’s about half the strip.”
The Wendy’s restaurant across the parking lot from Subway was far enough away that it remained open.
The extent of the police activity was quite a surprise for Bork.
“I’ve seen police in here, but typically they’re just talking to a single business if something happened there, an altercation,” he said.
“It’s like a ghost town in here. It’s kind of wild.”
Police ask anyone with information to call the Major Crime Unit at 250-380-6211.