COLLEGE PARK, Ga.,None — College Park police are crediting surveillance cameras placed throughout the city with possibly helping to save a newborn's life.
The 1-month-old baby boy's mother, Gillian Green, 17, now faces charges of loitering for sexual purposes and child cruelty.
Police said the surveillance cameras show Green and Michelle Sloan walking down Old National Highway.
Investigators said the camera also shows Denario Tigner, the baby's father and Green's pimp, monitoring their activities.
Josh Emory, a police recruit whose job it is to sit at police headquarters and monitor one of dozens of high-quality surveillance cameras placed throughout the city, said he first noticed Green on Friday walking and getting in cars with men in the area.
Officers said Green was arrested then.
Then Thursday morning, Emory said he noticed Green back out on the street doing the same thing.
The surveillance video shows officers arresting all three at a gas station.
That's when police said Green made a startling statement.
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"She's got her baby at the motel room and that we can't arrest because somebody needs to go see her baby," Sgt. Mike Whittle said.
Officers said they went to her motel room and found Green's baby alone in a filthy room where the temperature was set to 85.
"The baby was sweating. What it had on was soaking wet," Lt. Reed Pollard said.
Investigators said the baby is now in state custody.
Michelle Sloan was charged with loitering for sexual purposes. Tigner was arrested on an outstanding warrant out of College Park for pimping and for a probation violation.
The police department said they have 68 cameras around the city. Officers said they are a valuable tool in helping them prevent crime and catch criminals in the act.
Officials said the beauty of the system is employees like Emory, who has only been on the job three weeks, can watch from a room at police headquarters and officers can even watch in their patrol units.
Emory said he and the cameras are making a difference. He noted that Green could have been taken away by one of the men she got in a car with.
"Her kid might have been in the hotel for a week before anyone would have noticed she was gone. So I feel like I'm making a difference," Emory said.