A human fetus was found on the sidewalk by a passerby in Ottawa’s Little Italy district, Ottawa police said in a tweet.
According to police, the fetus was found on Preston Street, just outside the Moderno Barbershop early Thursday morning.
“All I [saw was] something red from far away,” said Dominico Votano, owner of the Modern Barbershop to CTV News Ottawa. “Everything was cordoned off and I wasn’t able to get into my building.”
Ottawa police confirmed Thursday afternoon that they had located the mother and that she has sought medical attention.
Police Const. Amy Gagnon told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview that cases like this aren't common. "Fortunately, it's a very rare type of call that we'd respond to," she said.
Gagnon said when paramedics arrived, there was “no chance of revival” as the fetus was “very young…end of first trimester.”
Officers are looking for any witnesses who may have noticed anything unusual overnight.
