An 18-year-old woman from Idaho has been arrested after allegedly dropping a dead baby into a safe haven baby box at a hospital, police said.
Angel N. Newberry was taken into custody on an arrest warrant for failure to report a death to a law enforcement officer and medical examiner, according to Blackfoot Police. She was booked into the Bingham County Jail.
The Safe Haven Baby Box allows parents to safely and anonymously surrender their newborn infant under 30 days of age without legal repercussions, as long as the child is intact. However, leaving an injured or dead infant unattended is not protected.
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Angel N. Newberry (Blackfoot Police Department)
Newberry's arrest followed an investigation that began on Oct. 13 after police responded to a report of a dead infant left in an infant box at Grove Creek Medical Center. Ta.
Safe Haven Baby Box Inc. announced that hospital staff immediately responded to an alarm alerting them to the presence of a baby in the box, and that the infant had died long before being left inside.
“Grove Creek Medical Center staff immediately responded to the alarm and indicated there was a baby inside the box,” Safe Haven Baby Box wrote on Facebook last month. “The medical team removed the infant from the cage within a minute. Once removed, they quickly discovered that the infant had died long before being placed in the baby box.” Therefore, this is not a legal surrender under state law because it does not meet the criteria for safe haven surrender.”
safe haven baby box (Safe Haven Baby Box)
Monica Kelsey, the organization's founder, said: “We are heartbroken. To be clear, this is illegal and deadly abandonment. This will only be allowed if the child is safely handed over.”
When the baby was placed in the box, it was wrapped in a blanket with the placenta still attached, Kelsey noted.
Due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation and the possibility of further criminal charges, police said they were limited in the information they could release.
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When the baby was placed in the box, it was wrapped in a blanket with the placenta still attached. (St. Petersburg)
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Blackfoot police worked with Twin Falls police in the investigation.
The Grove Creek Baby Box was installed in July and is the first facility in the state where parents can safely and anonymously surrender their newborns, according to KIVI.
