March 28, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Neglected baby in fair condition> Father offers no excuses after forgetting child in Portland parking garage

PORTLAND — A father whose baby was recovering in a hospital after being left unattended in a car for four hours says he knows he won’t get much sympathy for his forgetful actions.

John S. Campbell said he couldn’t fathom how he forgot the baby and intends to find out from his doctor if his high blood pressure medicine may have affected his concentration. But he said he wasn’t making excuses.

“I don’t even want to venture into defending myself or talking about myself,” Campbell said Tuesday.

The 4-month-old girl was kept alive by a respirator for several days at the Maine Medical Center after being found unconscious and dehydrated in a car with the windows rolled up a week ago at the top of a Portland parking garage.

She was taken off the respirator Monday but was still having seizures. Her condition was upgraded to fair, and hospital officials said the child’s vital signs were stable and within normal limits.

Campbell said there are no signs the girl will suffer long-term problems, although she will be examined by a neurologist. The child’s improvement has allayed doctors’ initial fears about possible brain damage.

When asked Wednesday if the baby had been discharged, a hospital spokeswoman said the family asked for information about the girl to be kept private.

Police say Campbell ran to the garage at about 1:15 p.m. after getting a phone call that the child didn’t show up that morning at the day care center where he had forgotten to drop her off.

He and the baby’s mother met at a drugstore and tried to give the baby Pedialyte, a medicine that helps stave off dehydration, but drove to Maine Medical Center when the child didn’t respond.

Campbell, 45, is a partner in a small law practice that specializes in legal and medical malpractice, bankruptcy and commercial litigation.

He was part of the team that represented Joseph Ricci, owner of Scarborough Downs racetrack and a former gubernatorial candidate, when Ricci won a $15 million judgment against Key Bank in 1987 for cutting off his credit over false charges that he was linked to organized crime.

Police said the District Attorney’s Office is expected to decide by Friday whether to file charges.

“We wanted to make sure we were going to pursue it criminally and we are,” Police Chief Michael Chitwood said. “It’s a horrible tragedy. Just talking about it chokes me up.”


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