A Minneapolis woman chased the father of her newborn baby down a street and, when she caught up to him, allegedly threw their 18-day-old girl into a snowbank, according to charges filed Tuesday.

"I can't believe you did that to my baby!" the baby's father allegedly repeatedly screamed at Ashley Renee Couch, 21, as police arrived at the intersection of E. 18th Street and 10th Avenue South at about 8 a.m. Saturday.

Couch, the child's mother, was charged with child endangerment and neglect of a child, both gross misdemeanors. She is expected to appear in court Wednesday.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said Couch was not believed to be drunk or on drugs. He said he could not discuss whether she suffered from mental illness.

"I'm a proud father of five," Freeman said at a news conference. "I can't imagine any parent cavalierly throwing a child in the snowbank."

It was 16 degrees with 12 mile-per-hour winds when police responded to the scene. The baby's father told them he saw a woman throw a baby into a snowbank on the side of the road, according to a criminal complaint. A blanket had fallen to the ground and the baby was lying in the snow, uncovered.

The man said he called 911 and put the baby in his jacket as he waited for police. The girl, whose skin was red, was cold to the touch and would not wake up, he told officers. He rubbed her chest for about 10 seconds until she eventually responded, the complaint said.

A second witness provided police with a similar account.

The child's father, who was upset and crying, told officers that Couch had "slammed" their baby into the snowbank, the complaint said.

When Couch spoke to investigators, she said the baby's father took money from her and fled their home nearby. She told them that she grabbed the baby and a blanket, then chased the man down the street. She said that when she caught him, she pushed him and the baby fell out of her hands, the complaint said.

The infant was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where doctors noted that she was lethargic with cool skin. She was treated for hypothermia with a body temperature of 95.8 degrees. She was put in an incubator and later recovered. She has been placed in foster care.

Couch remains in the Hennepin County jail in lieu of $20,000 bail. The father also was arrested at the scene but will not be charged in the incident.

Prosecutors could not consider felony charges because the baby "thankfully'' was not seriously hurt, Freeman said. It's too soon to say whether she could one day be returned to her mother, he said, pointing out that the system prefers that biological parents raise children.

Freeman said Couch will likely need parenting classes and other assistance.

"She's got a lot of work to do," he said.

Abby Simons  612-673-4921