ROCKINGHAM — A candlelight vigil is planned for this weekend to remember a newborn infant who was found dead near the railroad tracks in East Rockingham last week.
“We are coming together as a community to show this beautiful baby boy how much we love him and we wanna keep him alive within our hearts,” James McDougald, who goes by Gone Nye on Facebook, said in a post Monday afternoon.
The vigil will start at 5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4 at Discount Grocery in East Rockingham.
McDougald encourages residents to bring teddy bears, balloons “or whatever you can to show this baby boy how much we love him.”
Participants are also asked to bring their own candles or flashlights.
A makeshift memorial has already been set up at Discount Grocery, adorned with balloons, several stuffed animals and flowers.
According to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, deputies and EMS personnel responding to a call found the newborn boy next to the tracks between 9th Ave. Aleo and South Street on Thursday, Jan. 26.
Investigators believe the baby was delivered at or near full term and, as of the last update on Jan. 27, were waiting for more information from the office of the state medical examiner.
Detectives have reportedly conducted several interviews, but all persons of interest — including a couple seen near the area just hours before the baby was found — have been cleared, according to the sheriff’s office.
Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call the sheriff’s office at 910-895-3232, Richmond County Crime Stoppers at 910-997-5454 or 911.
