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A NEWBORN girl has died after she was found in a Walmart trash can.
A maintenance worker found the baby in the store’s bathroom shortly after her mom left her there on Monday night.
Walmart workers performed CPR on the girl until the police arrived at the store in Kingsville, Texas, about 40 miles from Corpus Christi.
The baby was taken to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the Kingsville Police Department.
Cops identified a 17-year-old woman as the baby’s mother.
The baby’s grandfather, the dad of the teen mom, is now charged with abandoning or endangering a child with criminal negligence.
Jerry Martinez, 45, was arrested at the scene.
SHOCKING SCENE
Authorities examined the store’s security video and observed a young woman entering the store and remaining in the restroom for approximately 40 minutes that evening.
She then left the store and got into a car.
The newborn was found in the trash can about 30 minutes after the teen left.
“Maintenance was able to grab all the trash bags and cans from the actual restroom,” KPD investigator Celinda Tatum told NBC affiliate KRIS-TV.
“He was en route to dispose of them whenever he thought it was a little concerning and made contact with the other employees.”
The workers called 911 at 10:22 pm and said they found a baby in a trash bag, police said.
Cops then found the teen mom’s car in the Walmart parking lot at around 10:53 pm, police said.
The woman was taken by ambulance to the hospital.
“The female suspect did arrive back on scene that night, so we did make contact with her,” Tatum said.
Timeline of the case
A newborn baby girl was found inside the trash at a Walmart in Kingsville, Texas. Below is a timeline of events:
Monday, July 14
At around 9:10 pm – A 17-year-old girl enters the Walmart and goes into the bathroom, where she stays for about 40 minutes.
At around 9:50 pm – The teen mom leaves the bathroom and gets into a car.
10:22 pm – Walmart employees call 911 and report they found a baby in the bathroom trash can.
10:53 pm – Officers find the woman’s vehicle in the Walmart parking area. The teenager is transported to the hospital by ambulance. Her father, Jerry Martinez, faces arrest and charges of child abandonment or endangerment due to criminal negligence.
Tuesday, July 15
8:05 am – Martinez is booked into Kleberg County Jail.
“She’s getting medically assessed at the hospital whenever she gets released, then we would speak to her regarding the incident.”
The teen remains hospitalized, but will be interviewed once she’s released, police said.
Martinez remains in the Kleberg County Jail.
He also faces charges of tampering with a witness and tampering with physical evidence.
Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office and KPD didn’t immediately return The U.S. Sun’s request for comment.
“The avenue taken last night wasn’t the correct one, wasn’t a safe one for the mother or the child,” Tatum told KRIS-TV.
“We recommend that whenever an incident happens, it’s important to reach out to law enforcement or emergency services promptly to ensure both the baby and the mother receive proper medical attention.”
Texas has the Safe Haven Law, also known as the Baby Moses Law, which lets parents surrender their newborn at a designated safe place with no questions asked if they’re under 60 days old.
Designated safe places are any hospital, fire station, or emergency medical services station in Texas.
The babies can also be placed in a newborn safety device inside the designated emergency infant care provider facility, according to state officials.
