State officials say a 17-year-old boy left
at an Omaha hospital is the 24th child to be abandoned under
Nebraska's safe-haven law.

Todd Landry is director of the Division of Children and Family
Services for the Department of Health and Human Services. He says
the boy lives in Douglas County and was left by his grandmother,
who is his legal guardian.

A Nebraska Medical Center spokesman said the boy was left there
Wednesday night.

Landry says the boy is a state ward but has been living with
family while undergoing therapy.

Nebraska's safe-haven law was intended to protect unwanted
newborns from being abandoned.

Because the law does not set an age limit, some have interpreted
it to mean that children as old as 18 can be abandoned.