As an experienced police officer, Michael Buelna had saved lives all throughout his career. It was part of the gig, especially in Santa Ana. Why, this was one of California's more dangerous cities!
Still, one crisp autumn night brought a rescue mission, unlike anything Michael had seen before in his line of work. Investigating a stabbing, something even more shocking popped up in an alley nearby. What did he find? And why did he receive a phone call decades later with an update, out of the blue?
Read on to see what unusual discovery stayed in this cop's life, forever!
The Fateful Call
The Santa Ana Police Department provides services to more than 350,000 folks these days. A pretty big duty and they thought they had seen anything and everything!
Officer Michael would prove them wrong soon enough, though. When a call arrived to check out a local alley in the night, he went right ahead. But quickly, he heard a disturbance! What was “a sound of a very low meow, like a cat or something”? Mike followed to a dumpster, and could hardly believe his eyes. What did he find in that dark, dirty corner?
An Unmistakable Sound
Mike was taken aback completely when he looked closely at the source of the noise. Could this really be what it looked like?
Facedown and exposed on the cement was an infant, brand new with the cord still attached! The officer recounted with horror: “And I moved some of the trash, and I saw the little baby...And I was kind of shocked at first because it’s kind of hard to grasp what I was seeing." What was the right thing to do here?
Calling All Cars
Trained to be quick in a crisis, Michael radioed for medical assistance immediately: "I noticed the umbilical cord and he was covered, he still had all the mucus and stuff and all the trash and gravel was sticking to him...I tried to give him a tiny little bit of breath and he reacted a little bit."
Frankly, this discovery was not a typical night find on the job. Michael was shaken, and he wasn't even sure he wanted to hand over the baby. He rode in the ambulance as a police escort, all the way the hospital. Was it too late for this tiny person, left to die?
A Chilly Bundle
Fortunately, this brave officer had acted just fast enough. Although hypothermia had set in, the expert medical team did expect him to make a complete recovery. Yes, it was a boy!
Michael's unlikely discovery had made a serious difference in the health outcome here. Things could have been very different, just a few hours later! At 4lb 2oz, baby was going to be okay. But there were so many unanswered questions! For example, what was his name?
Miracle Boy
Well, there wasn't one! A nurse gently informed Michael that a name was needed. At only a few hours old, it wasn't too late for a new identity. A paramedic pressed the question: “You just had a baby; what are you doing to name him?”
Michael thought about the matter, but it didn't take him long to respond. He replied with a clear decision: “Adam. Because Adam was always one of my favorite names.” Not a bad idea, Michael! What happened next to little Adam, though?
Back on The Beat
Michael and Adam shared a touching moment that night in critical care, but the night ended like it always does. The city of Santa Ana still had plenty of problems, and Michael couldn't ignore it. Back to work, he went!
What would ultimately happen to mystery Baby Adam? The details would unfold over time, but the officer would not be a part of the process. Moving on with a long career on the force, Michael never totally got past that night. He always wondered what happened, for years! Where did Adam go after recovery, by the way?
A Little PR
Clearly, a family was needed for this little boy. Whoever birthed him was long gone, but he had lots of living to do. According to national stats, around 140,000 children are chosen by American families every year. Was that a promising percentage for Adam?
Truthfully, yes! Within a month, about 62% of babies are placed with their new families. The local newspaper hoped to boost his chances even more and publicized the case. Did anyone call in and step up?
Abandoned No More
No one can deny that the case was publicized. But for whatever reason, it was difficult to find Adam's actual blood family. That's when Elizabeth Barton and Daniel Fernandez stepped in!
As an abandoned child, he was officially put up for adoption. And quickly, his luck turned around! The Fernandez family brought him home and gave him a brand new name. No longer Adam, what would he be called growing up with these lovely people?
Forever Grateful
And just like that, he was Robin Barton. New name, new life! No longer crying all alone, two adults truly wanted him around.
Elizabeth and Daniel decided to do everything they could to give him a warm upbringing. They say that the family is the foundation that sets the tone for the rest of one's life. New baby Robin had a great path ahead! But as baby became boy, did he know he didn't start out as a Fernandez?
Questions Arise
Actually, ignorance was bliss for many years. There was no reason to alert Robin to this information during childhood, so he grew up with no idea about the miraculous backstory. It was a secret!
Elizabeth and Daniel wanted Robin to be a normal kid. But of course, time passed. As he got older, he started to ask more questions. The truth is, no one wants to hear they were abandoned in the trash. Many would conclude it's better to hide this kind of thing altogether! Would his parents really share the sad details with him?
The Big Reveal
Once Robin seemed ready, Elizabeth started to share the truth with him. She told him he was not only adopted but the subject of a well-known news story at the time of his birth. What's more, he was discovered by a brave policeman after his real mother ran away immediately after birth!
Of course, she emphasized the good. Elizabeth told him how she felt all along: "It's been an honor and privilege to be your mom." But this was a lot to take in, and she feared it could shatter their beautiful family. How did her son react?
Cool as a Cucumber
How did this well-adjusted, happy young man react to the story? Not too badly, it turned out. Surprisingly, Robin didn’t show any negativity or anger. He was simply grateful that his adoptive parents had given him such a wonderful life. And who wouldn't be?
Robin reassured his adoptive mother: "I was blessed with a great family." But he knew he wanted to at least meet with the policeman who found him near a dumpster. Was this realistic, all these years later?
Back to Mike
Where oh where was officer Michael Buelna all this time? He was serving with the Santa Ana police force, it turns out. Crime never stops, but retirement eventually did come. In his 50's, Mike went back to civilian life.
Still, the memory of finding an abandoned baby stood out in his mind for many years. In 2015, an old colleague called with a very special invitation. Adam was all grown up now, and wanted to meet 25 years later! Was Michael comfortable with this idea?
Face-Off
Of course, he wanted to meet! Now with both parties in agreement, it was just a matter of logistics. And then, the moment arrived. It was time!
When they first came face-to-face, neither knew exactly what to say. Maybe the truth was that words were insufficient. A hug was the answer, and the men embraced without saying much at all. But then, Michael unleashed a bombshell. What additional news did he have to share at a time like this?
A Surprising Backstory
Michael shared a bit about himself that day. While so many people might have called the EMT service and left, this officer had shown far more emotional investment in the outcome. And there was a good reason, actually.
Shockingly, Mike's own parents left him too. And at a young age! Perhaps he really identified with that baby in the alley, more than most. What other details did he share with Adam, now Robin? Michael explained further that he and four other siblings were abandoned by their mother. Yes, all of them! But why?
Heart to Heart
Perhaps he would never know, sadly. Michael admitted: “I spent over 20 years looking for my mother." Heartbroken, he had expended a lot of energy to find her after the fact.
Now, he wanted to help baby Adam find his own lost mom. And as a trained officer, he had a lot of good resources to help! The adoptive family was supportive of the reunion so far. Fernandez recounted: "I had the opportunity to shake his hand and look in his eyes and say: 'Thank you for saving his life.'" But would further digging into the past be productive?
Media Blitz Begins
Robin’s reunion with the officer who saved him got press coverage, to no one's surprise. And soon, new faces began to show up from his origins story. First, his birth father: Marcos Meza. After hearing the whole tale on TV, a light bulb went off. Why, he had been searching for his own son during that exact time frame!
Marcos explained: "For 24 years, I always said I would like to find him, and I finally did." He said it was a dream to finally track down his son! But wait a minute — who was the mother here?
A Whole New World
Another surprise was quickly revealed: Marcos had 5 daughters! Robin was raised an only child, but now a lot more family than he ever knew! The siblings met, and it was a very happy occasion for all. But still, there was the question of his biological mother.
Marcos revealed that he had an affair with a 19-year-old gal, back in the day. Her name was Serena Diaz, and he only found out his baby was gone when the police told him! Where was she now, though?
Mother Dearest
At the time of the baby discovery, police did investigate. Officers created a sketch of Sarina Diaz, which was released to the public. And she was surely arrested!
Charged with child endangerment and attempted murder, Robin's mom was sentenced to 3 years in prison. And afterward, she was deported! This non-domestic location certainly made it harder to track her down. She could be anywhere, but nowhere close. Sabrina Fabiola Diaz was 45 now — but was she alive and well?
Prison Past
As it turns out, Sabrina was deported to Mexico after serving her time. While many people might resent or even hate the woman who left them to die, Robin explained that he didn't see his biological mother as a villain at all.
In fact, he wanted to find her! Robin said he thought it might provide this woman closure, all these years later. Plus, he wanted to personally tell her that she had been forgiven. Why did he want to take this surprising step?
Forgiving Family
Robin's perspective was very compassionate, in the end. He explained: "I forgive her because she was a young woman in a very compromising position...I don’t blame her, and I’m not angry or upset with her. And that I do forgive her."
He knew he wanted to say this on camera, in case she was watching. But soon, he was able to connect with her over the phone! Although she was still abroad, Robin decided he wanted to meet her in the future. The real question is, what options did she have to give up her baby 25 years ago?
Just Like Moses
No one could really understand Sabrina's decision, and that is why it got so much media attention. Outrageous and worthy of punishment, no doubt! Interestingly, many states have Safe-haven laws now. Sometimes, they are actually known as "Baby Moses laws". What are these regulations?
Many places in the United States decided to decriminalize the act of abandoning unharmed infants in specific places. Certainly not an alley, that's for sure — so how does it work?
Dumpsters No More
"Safe-haven" laws let parents vary by state, but most of them designate special locations for abandoned baby drop-offs. Popular places include hospitals, police stations, and fire stations. Some even have a special room!
Many states decided that these safe-haven bundles count as adoption surrenders. And therefore, parental rights are waived. The truth is, Sabrina probably didn't have information about this concept. Many people hope to publicize this legal option, now that it's on the books. But does everyone agree that this is more acceptable than a dumpster?
Controversy Continues
Indeed, there are plenty of citizens out there as opposed to safe-haven laws. Because bringing the baby to the site means a total waiver of parental rights, some people think the father needs to know! After all, only one person might be doing the drop-off. Yikes!
Still, others say that anonymity stops parents from harming unwanted babies in extreme situations. There seems to be no perfect solution at the moment, and not all stories of abandoned children end up like Robin. At least one time, it all turned out to be a happy ending. All the best, Fernandez family!