Baby 'injected with heroin' before body found in garbage bag
The deceased body of a newborn baby has been discovered in rubbish bags after the father called police concerned for his unborn child.
The man, who police have not yet identified, called New Mexico State Police on August 17 and reported he had returned from a trip to find the mother of the baby was no longer pregnant and refused to tell him where the newborn was.
A report by the state’s Department of Public Safety read police arrived at the woman’s trailer to complete a welfare check later that day and made the grisly discovery.
The Albuquerque Journal reported officers began to search for the baby after entering the residence and describing the stench as “the smell of death”.
The news website claims, according to a search warrant affidavit, police found the body of the infant in a black garbage bag, next to the toilet, inside the mobile home.
The father allegedly told police the mother was a drug user during her pregnancy and told him she had been injecting the baby with heroin to keep the newborn from withdrawal symptoms.
Police said when questioning the woman, she was behaving strangely and showing signs of heroin use, going in and out of consciousness.
She told officers she gave birth to the child at an unknown date and had passed out due to the pain. When she woke she said the baby was unresponsive.
“Her statements were inconsistent and not making logical sense,” the attending police said, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
Police are conducting interviews and awaiting an autopsy report on the infant before any charges can be made, local TV station KSNT reported.
“We do have a suspect in place, which is the mother of the child, and we’re following up with investigation through state police,” District Attorney Marco Serna said.
“If there are additional individuals who took part in this horrific, horrific hiding of this body, we will discover them and we will prosecute them as well,” Mr Serna said.
No names have been released.
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, download the Yahoo News app from iTunes or Google Play and stay up to date with the latest news with Yahoo’s daily newsletter. Sign up here.
