Woman still sought after baby abandoned during traffic stop

Mandy Logsdon last seen in area of U.S. 192, Haven Drive

WEST MELBOURNE, Fla. – It's a head-scratcher for West Melbourne police, who are wondering why a 34-year-old Palm Bay woman would abandon a baby.

"Sometimes when people do stuff, we never really know what's going through their mind or why," said Capt. Rich Cordeau.

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Police said Mandy Logsdon, who has been arrested before, was pulled over around 10 a.m. Thursday for driving with a suspended license.

But when she parked at Publix on 192, she ran away and left a 4- or 5-month-old baby boy in the back seat.

"She fled on foot behind the Red Lobster, over walls and through neighborhoods," said Cordeau.  "The child was calm. Our officer, knowing that there was a baby inside there, appropriately stayed with the vehicle."

Police brought the baby to headquarters and gave him to Child Services.

Police say the boy is OK.

News 6 spoke with Logsdon's stepbrother, Shane Murray, who said she is not the baby's mother.

"This lady was giving her up for adoption, and Mandy -- how she is about kids -- she didn't want to do that," he said. "She said she'll take care of the kid."

Murray told News 6 Logsdon was fixing up a family home on Amberly Road to take care of the child.

She was not there when News 6 knocked on the door Thursday night.

When she's found, police say Logsdon will face felony charges for running away from police and abandoning the baby.

She was described as 4 feet 11 inches tall, and police said she was wearing a striped dress. They said she was wet from the waist down.

Anyone who sees Longsdon is asked to call 911.


About the Authors

James joined News 6 in March 2016 as the Brevard County Reporter. His arrival was the realization of a three-year effort to return to the state where his career began. James is from Pittsburgh, PA and graduated from Penn State in 2009 with a degree in Broadcast Journalism.

Erik Sandoval joined the News 6 team as a reporter in May 2013 and became an Investigator in 2020. During his time at News 6, Erik has covered several major stories, including the 2016 Presidential campaign. He was also one of the first reporters live on the air at the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

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