A 20-year-old woman has been charged with abandoning her baby girl on a subway platform at Columbus Circle Monday afternoon, police say.
Frankea Dabbs, who is believed to be homeless, was arraigned Tuesday on a felony charge of abandoning a child and committing actions injurious to a child, which is a misdemeanor.
The judge ordered Dabbs jailed without bail and issued an order of protection for her child.
After a brief, explicit, outburst, Dabbs was led away by court officers. She's next scheduled to appear in court on Friday.
Police say Dabbs allegedly pushed her 10-month-old daughter's stroller off a No. 1 train and onto a platform at the Columbus Circle station around lunchtime Monday and got back in the subway car alone.
A bystander saw the unattended stroller on the platform and stayed with the baby for about 20 minutes, thinking someone would return, police say. When no one showed up, she contacted authorities.
Police released surveillance video of a woman pushing the child through a subway turnstile and, acting on a tip early Tuesday, found Dabbs at a Starbucks at 71st Street and Broadway. She was taken into custody for questioning and arrested several hours later.
The baby was taken to the hospital for evaluation and is now in ACS custody.
Dabbs has previous arrests in multiple states on charges including drugs, assault, prostitution and breaking and entering. Her defense attorney said in court it appears those charges were dismissed and Dabbs was never convicted.
-- Gus Rosendale contributed to this report.
