'Baby Jessica’ Arrested in Texas 39 Years After Dramatic Rescue That Gripped the World

In 1987, Jessica McClure Morales became a global sensation after surviving more than two days trapped in a well 22 feet deep. As national and international media covered the rescue operation, she was fondly called ‘Baby Jessica.’

Thirty-nine years later, Jessica is once again in the headlines, though for less favorable reasons. The woman, now 40, has been arrested on the accusation of domestic abuse. Authorities reached her home in Midland, Texas, around 10 p.m. on April 11 after receiving reports of domestic violence.

Morales was arrested and taken to the Midland County Detention Center. She has been charged with assault causing bodily injury involving family violence. However, she is now out of prison after posting an undisclosed bond. The police are still investigating the case, and more details about the incident are awaited.

Morales first gained global attention when she was just 18 months old. On October 14, 1987, she was playing in her aunt's backyard in Midland, Texas, with four other children. Suddenly, she fell into a 22-foot-deep and eight-inch-wide well.

A rescue operation followed, involving numerous drilling experts, rescuers, and paramedics. While Morales was trapped in the well without food or water, rescuers drilled a parallel shaft and a horizontal tunnel through rock to reach her. Finally, after 58 hours, a paramedic was able to reach her and carry her out of the well.

The entire operation was broadcast live on major networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC. Jessica suffered multiple bruises and injuries while trapped in the well and had to undergo surgeries following her rescue. Apart from media attention, she also received support from the country’s leadership.

Then-President Ronald Reagan called her family to check up on her. George Bush and his wife, Barbara, visited the family in Texas and were photographed with the baby. The story also became the subject of multiple television projects. Two years after the rescue operation, a film titled Everyone's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure, aired on ABC.

People also supported Morales financially, raising a $1.2 million trust fund. She gained access to the fund when she turned 25 in 2011. However, she later said that most of the funds were lost in the 2008 stock market crash.

Meanwhile, Morales married Danny in 2006. The couple has two children together. In 2017, Morales looked back at the pain she endured when she was just 18 months old, and said it was indeed a miracle that she survived.

“In a way, I guess it happened the way it was supposed to. I was picked on because of it, but most people are kind and think what happened is an amazing miracle. It is. I don’t believe that any of it would’ve happened without God,” she said in an interview with People magazine.