Parents detained after 5-day-old son taken from Phoenix clinic

Parents detained after taking newborn from clinic that triggered Amber Alert

The parents of a 5-day-old were taken into custody after taking him from a Phoenix clinic before he was medically cleared. FOX 10's Jacob Luthi has more on why this triggered a statewide Amber Alert. 

PHOENIX - Two parents were accused of taking their 5-day-old son from a clinic in Phoenix on May 9 before doctors say he was medically cleared. The case triggered an Amber Alert across Arizona, before the newborn was found safe, and the parents were detained in Mohave County.

What we know:

Phoenix police say Ollie Olson, now 6 days old, was still under critical care when investigators say his parents, Tyler Olson and Asia Wilson, left the hospital with him, sparking the Amber Alert. The medical facility cares for newborns withdrawing from drugs exposed in the womb. 

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Police say the parents left with their newborn son in a dark-colored Jeep from a clinic on 30th Street and McDowell Saturday morning. By the evening, authorities located the family in Mohave County, where both parents were detained, and the infant was taken to a hospital for treatment.

What they're saying:

Timothy Turner, a consultant and former Department of Child Services investigator of 20 years, says investigators likely viewed the newborn as safe while in the hospital’s care. However, once the baby left before being medically cleared, authorities treated it as a child safety emergency, triggering the Amber Alert. 

"They can't just go in and say, we disagree with the doctor. We disagree with the hospital. This is our child, and we're taking our child home," Turner said. 

He said hospitals can move to keep a newborn from leaving with parents if there are signs the baby may be in danger, including possible drug exposure, neglect, or other serious medical concerns.

"I've worked numerous hospital cases over the course of my career, and there have been a lot of times where a parent did not agree," Turner said. "A parent wanted a second opinion, a parent wanted something, and parents have the right to do that. That's within their scope of what they can do. But if it looks suspicious, if it in any way looks strange or wonky, the hospital's going to be on the side of caution and not allow these parents to take the child."

(DPS)

In a statement to FOX 10, Hushabye Nursery, which provides short-term therapeutic care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome, said:

"Thank you for reaching out. Due to medical privacy laws, we are unable to confirm or deny whether any individual has received services at Hushabye Nursery. Our team has been cooperating fully with local authorities, and any additional questions regarding the investigation should be directed to the Phoenix Police Department."

Big picture view:

Dr. Gary Kirkilas, a pediatrician at Phoenix Children's Hospital, said neonatal abstinence syndrome is a growing national concern, driven in part by the increase in fentanyl exposure. 

"All the same things that can happen to adults, like dependence. Tolerance, withdrawal, all that happens as well with the fetus," Dr. Kirkilas said. 

He said doctors monitor newborns for signs of withdrawal if there's any suspected maternal substance use. 

"They're super amped up, super jittery, unable to sleep, unable to do really anything."

Dig deeper:

The doctor said when the syndrome is identified or suspected, medical teams are required to notify the proper authorities. 

"All children that have signs and symptoms of opioid withdrawal through their meconium or urine drug screen test positive for opioids," Dr. Kirkilas said. "That's also that's always a DCS call."

What's next:

The incident is under criminal investigation. 

FOX 10 reached out to Phoenix police and the Mohave County Sheriff’s office for more details about the detainment of Tyler and Asia, but so far, we have not heard back. We’re also still working to learn more about Ollie’s condition.