An 18-year-old Clovis mother was arrested after her newborn daughter died and she allegedly dumped the baby’s body in a garbage can, officials said.
Police were called to a home in Clovis on Jan. 24 after someone reported seeing something bloody in a trash can, officials said.
Officers found the newborn girl dead in the garbage after they say the child’s mother, Angelena Hamilton, placed her inside. Hamilton apparently never told her family that she was pregnant.
“Needless to say they, too, were devastated by what has occurred,” Clovis Police Chief Matthew Basgall said at a press conference Thursday, according to the Fresno Bee.
Hamilton later admitted that she gave birth that day but didn’t seek medical help for herself or her child. She didn’t give any possible motive to investigators, according to law enforcement.
“She’s an 18-year-old college student taking classes, doesn’t appear to have any criminal history,” Basgall said.
Police believe the baby was alive when she was born at about 6 a.m. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of death.
“It’s devastating to realize a newborn baby’s life was lost and that she made the decision that she did,” Basgall said. “Nobody wants to see this happen. It’s sad when this occurs when there are so many options out there.”
Hamilton was arrested on charges of manslaughter and felony child abuse.