On October 13, Angel N. Newberry, an 18-year-old from Twin Falls, Idaho, placed a newborn inside a Safe Haven Baby Box. The Safe Haven team was horrified to find out that the newborn girl placed in the baby box had long been dead. Police later arrested Newberry and charged her with felony failure to report a death.
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"The medical team removed the infant from the bassinet within a minute," reads a statement issued by Safe Haven Baby Boxes. "Upon removal, they quickly realized that the infant had passed away long before being placed in the baby box." Furthermore, the baby placed inside the baby box still had the placenta attached while wrapped in a blanket.
Safe Haven Baby Box's policy allows parents to place their newborns inside the baby boxes up to 30 days after birth. The parents will not face any sort of repercussions as long as newborn babies are unharmed. "Unfortunately, the placement of a harmed or deceased infant is not protected under this system or Idaho law," reads a statement made by the Blackfoot Police Department.
"We are heartbroken," Monica Kelsey, Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder, said. "Let this be clear: this is an illegal, deadly abandonment. Anonymity is only allowed when an infant is safely surrendered completely unharmed." She went on to state that the organization was collaborating with law enforcement to help identify the individual who left the dead child inside.
Twin Falls Arrest
Blackfoot and Bingham police started a search for the person who left the already dead baby. Eventually, they ended up arresting Angel N. Newberry at Twin Falls. Angel was booked at the Binhan County Jail. She was charged with one count of failure to report a death to law enforcement, according to the Daily Mail.
"We're incredibly grateful for our dedicated team, who responded within moments to the Safe Haven Baby Box alarm and gave their all in a heartbreaking situation," said the Grove Creek Medical Center in an October statement. "Though this infant was already deceased when abandoned, our staff showed deep compassion and commitment to care. Their actions mean everything to us, and we're so proud of the way they honor every life they touch."
The identity of the baby's father is still unknown. The actual age of the baby at the time of death is also unknown. No further details have been made public at the time.
