A New Jersey woman is accused of aggravated manslaughter after her newborn baby was found dead in a clothes hamper inside her home, prosecutors said Tuesday.
According to Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, Kimberly Aponte, 19, of Hackensack, gave birth late Friday or early Saturday in the apartment where she lived, NJ.com reported.
According to prosecutors, Aponte hid her pregnancy from her family. After giving birth to a full-term baby, prosecutors said she wrapped the infant in a towel and hid it in a clothes hamper, WPIX reported.
Hackensack police received a 911 call from Aponte’s father shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday, Musella said in a statement.
“When officers arrived at the apartment, the resident directed them inside where they observed a lifeless child,” Musella said.
Police officers found Aponte in her bedroom and took her to an area hospital for an evaluation, WABC reported.
Hackensack police called the members of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit to investigate circumstances surrounding the infant’s death, according to NJ.com.
Under New Jersey law, state residents can give up an unwanted infant without fear of arrest or prosecution, WPIX reported. Infants younger than 30 days old can be brought to any hospital emergency room, police station or fire station, the television station reported.
Aponte was arrested Monday and charged with second-degree aggravated manslaughter, NJ.com reported. She is expected to appear in court Wednesday, according to the website.
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