New Hampshire man arrested in case of baby left in woods

Update: George Theberge, 45, has been taken into custody since a warrant was issued for his arrest this week, WMUR-TV and other media sites reported Wednesday morning. It’s not clear when the arrest took place. Manchester, New Hampshire police did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation by Boston.com.

Initial report:

Manchester, New Hampshire police are now seeking a second suspect in connection to the an incident last month in which a premature baby was found abandoned in a tent in the woods for more than an hour in below freezing temperatures.

An arrest warrant has been issued for 45-year-old George Theberge, who is believed to have been with the baby’s mother, Alexandra Eckersley, when she gave birth on the west side of Manchester on Dec. 26, police said in a Facebook post.

Theberge is wanted on charges of felony tampering with witnesses, reckless conduct, and endangering the welfare of a child.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call Manchester police at 603-668-8711. Anonymous tips can also be submitted by calling 603-624-4040.

Eckersley, 26, who was arrested last month, faces charges including reckless conduct and endangering a child after she allegedly misled first responders for more than an hour about where she had delivered the baby.

She was released on bail with conditions including that she stay away from her newborn son and reside at a sober living facility or with a parent, or at another location approved by the state, WMUR-TV reported.

Manchester police eventually located the newborn on Dec. 26 and transported him to Catholic Medical Center in Manchester, officials previously said. He was later airlifted to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon.

A Manchester police representative told NBC10 Boston in the days after the incident that the baby had since been “doing well.”

Police said the temperature was approximately 15 degrees when the baby was born.

Eckersley, who is the daughter of MLB Hall of Famer and Red Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley, had told police that she had been living with a man named “George” who was allegedly inside the tent when she went into labor, The Boston Globe reported.

Eckersley’s family released a statement in the days following the incident, saying they were “utterly devastated by the events that unfolded.”

“It is heartbreaking that a child was born under such unthinkable conditions and in such tragic circumstances,” the family wrote. “We learned with everyone else from news reports what happened and are still in complete shock. We had no prior knowledge of Allie’s pregnancy.”

In that same statement, the family also explained how Alexandra Eckersley has “suffered from severe mental illness her entire life” and noted that they have done the best they can to support her. They also said they are “in the process of filing a guardianship petition so that we may receive information and have decision making with respect to Allie’s son.”