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Policeman who adopted drug-addicted baby receives award

Infant. China Photos/Getty Images

A New Mexico police officer, who adopted a drug-addicted baby girl born to a woman fighting an addiction, was honored by the Albuquerque Police Department on Monday, the Albuquerque Journal reported.

Ryan Holets received the Outstanding Service to the Community award from Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller.

The baby, who Ryan and Rebecca Holets named Hope, was born Oct. 12. She had heroin and crystal meth in her system and had to endure detox for about two weeks, suffering withdrawal symptoms.

Ryan Holets said his wife was the real hero, KRQE reported.

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“She didn’t hesitate, because you know, she had to take a few seconds to understand what I just said, but she immediately said, ‘Let’s do this, this is a wonderful thing,’” he said.

Ryan Holets was responding to a possible theft at an Albuquerque convenience store on Sept. 23. As he was leaving, Holets said he noticed a couple sitting outside against a cement wall, allegedly shooting up heroin. He turned on his body camera and confronted the couple, and then he noticed the woman was pregnant.

“It's not every day I see a sight like that and it just made me really sad,” Holets told CNN.

Crystal Champ, 35, told Holets that she was eight months pregnant.

“You're going to kill your baby,” Holets told Champ. “Why you have to be doing that stuff? It's going to ruin your baby.”

Already a father of four -- including a 10-month-old infant -- the officer decided to adopt the baby when it was born, and his wife agreed.

Rebecca Holets said she was excited about the prospect of adopting.

“He walked in and said, ‘So, I met this lady today,’” she told the Albuquerque Journal. “I thought that was an interesting choice of words. He said, ‘She’s shooting up heroin and eight months pregnant. I agreed to adopt her baby.’”

The adoption will become final by the end of the year.

The Holetses agreed to pay for counseling for Champ and the father of her baby, who was the man seen in the video, in addition to attorney’s fees for the adoption.