A woman has been arrested in connection with a newborn who was discovered alive in an apartment complex dumpster in Austin, Texas, last week, police said.
Police arrested 22-year-old Neli Dinora Rivera Felipe and booked her into the Travis County Jail, Fox7 Austin reported on Thursday. She is facing a charge for abandoning or endangering a child.
Felipe said she “thought the baby was lifeless” when she placed her in the trash, police said at a news conference.
Felipe allegedly admitted to police that she gave birth in her apartment on September 19, according to court documents. She allegedly told police she was afraid and uncertain about what she should do with the child, so she placed her in a white bucket and stuck her in the dumpster at around nine o’clock that night, according to the report.
Police reportedly obtained surveillance footage showing Felipe throwing a bag of garbage into the same dumpster at around ten o’clock the next morning. About three-and-a-half hours later, several other residents heard the baby girl crying and rescued her from the garbage while waiting for first responders to arrive.
“Their decision to act made it possible for first responders to intervene swiftly and provide the care this infant urgently needed,” Detective Russell Constable said.
Police said the infant was taken to the hospital and is receiving care but is doing well, according to the report.
Felipe is being held on $50,000 bond.
Department of Family and Protective Services Angela Peoples encouraged anyone in a similar situation to “seek out and get help.”
“There are safe ways to ensure that your baby can find a safe and stable home,” Peoples said.
Texas has a Safe Haven law that allows for the legal surrender of an unharmed newborn up to 60 days after birth to hospitals, fire stations, EMS providers, and baby boxes, according to the organization Safe Haven Baby Boxes.
“There have been 11 safe surrenders within the state of Texas this year. None have been in Travis County,” Peoples said.
Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.
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