Daughter of Dennis Eckersley is facing charges for allegedly leaving newborn in the woods

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The daughter of Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley is facing chargers for allegedly leaving her newborn in the woods in the freezing cold, reports the Boston Globe and other news outlets. Alexandra Eckersley was arrested early Monday morning after police responded to a report that a woman had given birth in a tent in the woods near Manchester, N.H.

Eckersley, 26, told police she didn’t know she was pregnant. Her newborn was born premature, and rushed Catholic Medical Center in Manchester before being airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon.

Eckersley also told police she was living in the woods inside of the makeshift tent with a man named “George.” When asked why she didn’t bring the baby with her when trying to leave the woods, she responded, “‘What do they tell you when a plane goes down? Save yourself first,’ ” police wrote.

According to an affidavit, Eckersley admitted to using marijuana and cocaine in the days before the baby’s birth. She also allegedly lied to police about the baby’s whereabouts, causing first responders to spend 73 minutes searching for the child.

She was charged with felony reckless conduct and endangering the welfare of a child, and also faces counts of second-degree assault with extreme indifference and falsifying physical evidence, WCVB reports.

Eckersley is the daughter of Dennis Eckersley and his second wife, Nancy. She told authorities that she and Dennis offered their daughter drug treatment for years, but refused, according to WCVB.

New Hampshire is one of seven states, including Massachusetts, with “safe haven” laws allowing a mother to leave their newborn at fire stations or with first responders without facing criminal charges. The baby must be no more than seven days old.

Eckersley was arraigned from her hospital bed Tuesday, and her bail was set at $3,000. An outrage worker who knew Eckersley, Carol Lizotte, told the Globe Eckersley is suffering from mental health issues.

“It’s this whole gigantic, messy picture,” she said. “What we’re seeing happen to this young woman and her baby is very, very bad, but it’s indicative of a much larger picture, a much larger problem.”