The body of a deceased newborn was found in the back of a Texas garbage truck last week, less than a month after a spate of infant abandonments in dumpsters across the state. The incident reveals once again the dire need for more awareness surrounding safe haven laws.
Deputies in Harris County say they were contacted around 9:30 a.m. on August 14 after sanitation workers discovered the body of a baby boy in the bottom of their truck.
“They got to a point where they had started to repack trash,” Sgt. Sidney Miller said of the discovery. “That’s when they discovered the infant in the bottom of the trash can.”
The infant was estimated to be 30 days old or younger, and appeared to have been born full term. According to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, the little boy had injuries consistent with being crushed by the truck’s blade. A pathology exam said the infant’s death was “undetermined,” and investigators don’t know whether the baby was born alive or stillborn.
Update: @HCSOTexas Homicide and CSU Investigators worked extensively on this case. The investigation revealed the deceased newborn baby to be male with an estimated birth age of 1-day to 30-days old. The deceased newborn’s umbilical cord was detached and there
1/5 https://t.co/CYJbUxfKrY— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) August 16, 2024
The boy’s mother was later found and told authorities she had experienced abdominal pains and then given birth and passed out. She claims that when she awoke, she found the child unresponsive and deceased; she claims she panicked and threw the child in the trash can. To date, no charges have been filed in the incident.
Like all states, Texas has a safe haven law that allows parents who feel unable to care for their infant to surrender that child to the appropriate authorities. Texas’ law, called the “Baby Moses law,” allows such a surrender of a child 60 days old or younger at a hospital, fire station, free-standing emergency centers or emergency medical services (EMS) station.
The state also has several Safe Haven Baby Boxes, which are temperature-controlled units located in the side of fire stations. When an infant is placed inside the box, a silent alarm is triggered and emergency personnel respond in minutes. The baby boxes offer parents the opportunity to make the surrender anonymously if they so choose.
