CONCORD, N.H. — A second arrest was made in the case of the daughter of a Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher who gave birth in the woods and was accused of misleading New Hampshire police about the newborn’s location, authorities said Wednesday.
In a police affidavit, the daughter referred to George Theberge as her boyfriend. Other records in the case have been sealed. Theberge was arrested and charged with tampering with witnesses, reckless conduct and endangering the welfare of a child in connection with the Dec. 26 birth, police in the city of Manchester said. It was not immediately known if Theberge has a lawyer.
The baby boy was left alone in a tent in subfreezing cold for more than an hour before officers found him, authorities say.
The mother, Alexandra Eckersley, 26, was accused of abandoning her son without heat or proper clothing. She pleaded not guilty on Dec. 27 to charges of assault, reckless conduct, and other counts, and was released on bail on condition that she can’t have contact with her son.
Messages seeking comment from Eckersley’s lawyers were left Wednesday.
She is the daughter of Dennis Eckersley, who was drafted by Cleveland as a California high schooler in 1972, went on to pitch 24 seasons as both a 20-win starter and a 50-save reliever for Cleveland, Boston, the Cubs, Oakland and the Cardinals. He won the AL Cy Young and MVP awards in 1992 while playing for the Oakland Athletics. Eckersley retired last year from broadcasting Boston Red Sox games.
The Eckersley family released a statement last month saying they had no prior knowledge of the pregnancy and were in complete shock. They were seeking guardianship of the boy.
The statement went on to say that Alexandra Eckersley, whom they referred to as “Allie,” has suffered from “severe mental illness her entire life” and that the family did their very best to get her help and support.
