A retired police officer has been reunited with the abandoned baby he rescued decades ago when he was a young lieutenant, now fully grown and wearing a familiar uniform.
The candid photo op took place at the South Bend Police Department in Indiana late last month and featured retired officer Gene Eyster, who handled the case 24 years ago.
The other lead was none other than SBP Officer Matthew Hegedus-Stewart, the same ‘Baby Boy Doe’ that Eyster found in a box in the town just south of Notre Dame in December 2000.
Discovered just days before Christmas, Hegedus-Stewart grew up in South Bend thanks to Eyster and eventually became an officer with the same force that saved him.
The star-crossed couple had been separated until now, providing Eyster with some much-needed closure after wondering about the baby’s fate for decades. The video of the emotional meeting shows how it unfolded a few weeks ago.
Scroll down to watch the video:
The candid photo op took place at the South Bend Police Department in Indiana late last month and featured retired officer Gene Eyster, who handled the case 24 years ago. The other principle was none other than SBP officer Matthew Hegedus-Stewart.
The adult officer, ‘Baby Boy Doe’ himself, found in a box in South Bend in December 2000, abandoned before being placed in foster care.
“I think that was one of the strangest calls I’ve ever received,” said Eyster, a 47-year veteran of the force. CBS Newsas he relives the December day when his and Officer Hegedus-Stewart’s fates became forever intertwined.
“We have a baby found in a box,” he continued, recalling the words of a dispatcher who directed him and other officers to a local apartment complex where a man found newborn Hegedus-Stewart in a common area.
‘You always wonder, what happened?’ she asked out loud, remembering how she baptized the baby ‘Baby Jesus’ instead of the cruder nickname devised by the local newspapers.
“Baby Doe” sounded really mean,” Eyster said. “So… I started calling him ‘Baby Jesus,’ since it was so close to Christmas.”
At that moment, Eyster, in charge of tracing the little boy’s lineage, said The South Bend Grandstand“Initial examination indicated it may have been a home delivery.”
“I want to find the mother and make sure she’s okay,” continued the then-lieutenant, seen crying during last month’s emotional media event.
“After that, we’ll let the chips fall where they may,” he told the newspaper. “The priority is care and concern for the child, then for the mother and finally if there is any criminal intent.”
A search for answers about the boy’s origins ensued, during which an obedient Eyster went out and bought a teddy bear to keep the boy company.
The couple met at the police station on March 22, months after Eyster, who recently lost a son, retired.
An emotional reunion followed, during which the couple caught up on the lives they’ve led over the past few decades.
“We have a baby found in a box,” he continued, recalling the words of a dispatcher who directed him and other officers to a local apartment complex where a man found newborn Hegedus-Stewart in a common area.
‘You always wonder, what happened?’ she asked out loud, remembering how she baptized the baby ‘Baby Jesus’ instead of the cruder nickname devised by the local newspapers.
After a medical examination, the child was turned over to Child Protective Services to be placed in some type of foster care situation.
However, due to local laws, the baby’s exact fate was kept secret, leaving Eyster in the dark even after his retirement last year.
That changed in mid-March when the officer received a call from a former colleague.
In a big surprise, his former colleague offered an update on the fate of the boy he had taken an interest in all those years ago.
“He’s sitting next to me right now,” Officer Joshua Morgan joked, offering his insight while taking calls with a newly graduated Hegedus-Stewart.
‘He’s my rookie!’
Then came March 22, 2024, the day Eyster finally met the adult ‘Baby Jesus’.
After recently losing his only son, he was greeted by a young man wearing the same uniform he wore for nearly five decades, a monumental occasion felt by both parties.
“Baby Doe” sounded very cruel,” Eyster said. “So… I started calling him ‘Baby Jesus,’ since it was so close to Christmas.” Here you can see a clipping recounting the discovery on December 23, 2000. .
The two proceeded to catch up while examining preserved documents related to the fateful case.
Several of the documents, kept classified since the incident, had never before been seen by Hegedus-Stewart and offered new insight into the man who saved him.
In an interview with CBS, Hegdeus-Stewart said his information was also limited and that he came to the same job as his savior primarily by chance.
Eyster appeared visibly emotional during the meeting, which was filmed and shared on the department’s Facebook page.
“Thank you for everything you did for me,” Officer Hegedus-Stewart told Eyster as he shook his hand.
In an interview with CBS, Hegdeus-Stewart said his information was also limited and that he arrived at the same position as his savior primarily by chance.
When asked if the little information he had about his rescue led him to apply for a position in the force, he said no, but added that it could have been something more complex.
“I guess unconsciously, yes,” she said through tears. “That’s probably why I ended up where I am now.”
Meanwhile, as the two met in the hallways of the South Bend Police Department, a smiling Eyster couldn’t help but crack a joke.
“You’re a little bigger now.”
The two proceeded to catch up while examining preserved documents related to the fateful case.
“Thank you for everything you did for me,” Officer Hegedus-Stewart told Eyster, shaking his hand gratefully.
