NJ officials hold out hope that baby believed thrown off bridge by father is still alive

NJ bridge searchers: Baby’s survival odds are slim

NEWARK, N.J. — New Jersey officials searching for a baby believed to have been thrown off a bridge by her father acknowledge her chances of survival are slim by now.

Teams with boats, dogs and helicopters have found no sign of 3-month-old Zara Malani-lin Abdur in their third day of searching under a river bridge on the Garden State Parkway.

State Police Sgt. Julian Castellanos says the mission is still a rescue attempt even though the odds of a baby surviving this long are slim.

Authorities say Shamsiddi Abdur-Raheem snatched the child from her grandmother’s East Orange apartment while the mother was getting a restraining order Tuesday.

The 21-year-old is being held on $700,000 bail and faces arraignment in Newark on Thursday. He is charged with kidnapping, attempted murder aggravated assault and child endangerment.