A Texas woman was arrested and later charged with abuse of a corpse in connection with an incident at a local fast food restaurant last week.
According to authorities in Texas, the woman entered the establishment only to lock herself in the bathroom for hours, where she delivered her baby.
The newborn was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared her deceased. According to police officials, an autopsy will determine the cause of death, and charges may be upgraded if authorities find she harmed the baby.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that the woman allegedly tried to flush the newborn down the toilet after giving birth.
The investigation began after a restaurant employee called 911 and informed the dispatcher of the incident. The responding officers approached the woman and took her into custody.
During the investigation, authorities in Texas discovered that the woman entered the establishment around noon, stayed all day, and then walked into the restroom at 1 a.m.
The employee, who was not identified, told authorities that he had checked on the woman several times and offered her water. According to the witness, the defendant made strange noises inside the staII.
Several hours later, the employee informed the woman that she had to leave the restroom or they would contact the authorities. Shortly after, the woman exited the stall, allowing the witness to see the newborn, according to local news outlet Express News.
First responders discovered that the woman attempted but failed to flush the baby down the toilet. Authorities said in a statement that first responders had to “physically grab the baby to pull it out of the toilet’s U-trap drain”.
The newborn was rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead. According to police, the woman was 30 weeks pregnant when she gave birth in a restroom.
According to the affidavit, the baby was forced and flushed down the toilet drain, resulting in head injuries.