CHICAGO -- A Southwest Side man who answered a knock on his door Sunday night got a surprise -- a 1-to 2-week-old baby boy in a carrier outside his house.

NBC5's Renee Ferguson reported that 63-year-old Walter Gniadek said he had his windows open and the television on at his home when he saw a girl, who he described as being Latina, walk by. Police said Gniadek heard a knock about 8:30 p.m. on his door in the 3500 block of South Honore Street and saw a female fleeing down the street and a baby crying.

Gniadek described the girl as being approximately 4 feet 2 inches and weighing 100 pounds. Gniadek said the girl came up the steps, knocked on his door and then left, walking south.

"I opened the door nice and slow and easy, because I don't know what to expect," Gniadek said. "So, here's a little baby in a little seat, and all of her diapers and milk. I heard her cry again, and I said, 'Oh my God.'"

A note attached to the baby was written in Spanish, Ferguson reported.

"The note said, 'I know you'll take care of it, worry about it and feed it -- I can't afford it,'" Gniadek said.

Gniadek said he called authorities and the baby boy was taken away by police. The child was taken to University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, authorities said. University of Illinois pediatric resident Dr. Maria Caimol said the infant is alive and well in the hospital nursery.

"He's been eating really well," Caimol said. "Peeing and pooping fine, everything that you expect a newborn should do, he's doing very well."

Caimol said the baby has the typical features of a newborn.

"Just a very little swelling of the head, but that's probably from normal delivery," Caimol said. "We think he's less than a week old."

Illinois does have a "safe haven" law, which allows newborns seven days old or younger to be left at fire stations, police stations or hospitals. Since the baby was left on a doorstep, the mother could face criminal prosecution.

For Gniadek, life is back to normal, but he said he can't stop thinking about what he said is the newest addition to his family.

"I'm a grandfather at 63 (years old) and I don't know the mama," he said.

Sigh.. Well if she had enough sense, it would be better to be
looked down on. Then to be in jail.