WORCESTER, Mass. (WHDH) — Two people were arrested in connection with the discovery of a newborn’s remains in Worcester.
Police said they received a report Monday from a resident reporting an unusual odor coming from the garbage at 375 Lake Ave. Officers responded to the residence and said the bag had been moved.
Police said a “garbage bag emitting a strong odor” was later found in the woods behind a home at 384 Lake Ave. Authorities said officers discovered the remains of a newborn baby that had passed away inside the bag.
Edwin Santiago, 31, and Jennifer Rheaume, 26, were found walking along nearby train tracks in a “no trespassing” area. The two were interviewed, arrested and charged with removal of a human body and concealment of the death of a child.
Police said Santiago and Rheaume lived in separate homes on the street and had some sort of relationship. Neighbors said they noticed at one point Rheaume had been pregnant.
“They noticed she was pregnant and the next thing she wasn’t,” said neighbor Paul Gregoire.
The Department of Children and Families was notified of the investigation. The cause and time of the baby’s death are currently unknown. An autopsy will be conducted to determine if the baby was alive at the time of delivery.
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