Mother Arrested After Abandoning Newborn
Police in Nevada reported the arrest of a mother who allegedly told officers that throwing her newborn in the trash seemed like her “best option.” Taylor Sierra Dickinson, 28, faces charges of attempted murder after she tied her son in a garbage bag and discarded him in a trash can in Sun Valley.
According to police, Dickinson, who is married and has two other children, reacted with “panic and shock.” She reportedly did not realize she was pregnant until giving birth in a nearby bathroom on July 5th.
During a bail hearing, Washoe County Sheriff Detective Claire Hoops-Adams testified that Dickinson was unaware of the child’s gender or whether he was breathing or moving. “In her panic, she thought it was her best option,” Hoops-Adams stated.
It’s noted that Dickinson did not want any more children and felt her family was financially struggling to support another child. The detective mentioned that Dickinson had experienced a miscarriage earlier in 2023.
The newborn was found nearly ten hours later. A good Samaritan heard a scream and leaped into a waste container to rescue the baby.
The child was taken to a local community medical center where he is currently in stable condition. Sheriff Darrin Baram praised the quick actions of community members who, without hesitation, stepped in to help. “We are extremely grateful for their courage and quick thinking,” he said, adding a reminder that there are safe and legal options for those in similar situations.
Nevada law allows parents to legally abandon their infants at hospitals, fire departments, or law enforcement agencies within 30 days of birth under the Safe Evacuation Centers Act.
Dickinson was arrested on Sunday and is being held on a $1 million cash-only bail.
