BLACKFOOT, Idaho — A teenager in Idaho has been taken into custody regarding the discovery of an infant’s body, which was found last month within a hospital’s designated drop-off box for anonymity, as reported by local authorities on Friday.
The Blackfoot Police announced the arrest of an 18-year-old from Twin Falls, located around 130 miles (210 kilometers) southeast of Boise. Following her arrest, she was processed at the Bingham County Jail.
Charges against her stem from a felony warrant for failing to notify law enforcement and the coroner about a death, according to police statements.
Authorities received a report on October 13 indicating that a deceased baby had been left at the Grove Creek Medical Center. Monica Kelsey, the founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, stated that hospital personnel promptly reacted to an alert indicating that a baby was placed in the box, only to find that the infant had succumbed to death before being placed there.
Idaho law stipulates that only unharmed infants can be surrendered under these circumstances. The police explained in their announcement, “The Safe Haven Baby Box is designed to provide a secure and anonymous means for custodial parents to relinquish an unharmed newborn who is under 30 days old without facing legal consequences. Unfortunately, placing a harmed or deceased baby in this box is not lawful within this framework or under Idaho law.”
Details revealed that the baby was found wrapped in a blanket, with the placenta still attached, Kelsey had mentioned previously.
Authorities have indicated that they are withholding additional information, in part due to the possibility of further charges being filed against the individual involved.
