NEW BEDFORD, MASS. (WHDH) - The 22-year-old mother of an infant found dead at a New Bedford park in December was charged Monday with improper disposal of a body.
Daniela Michell Escobar-Mejia was summonsed to court seven months after her baby’s body was found wrapped in a blanket at Fort Taber Park on Dec. 9, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s office.
At around 12:40 p.m. on that December day, New Bedford police responded to the park for a report of a deceased infant, the DA’s office said.
A woman had been walking along a path near the water with her niece when she found a blanket that smelled of decay near a thicket of bushes, according to the office.
She found a white plastic bag inside the blanket, which contained the baby, the DA’s office said. The woman called out to two men walking a dog, and they called 911, according to the office.
Investigators determined the infant was allegedly left outside on Nov. 6, the DA said. The medical examiner, however, was unable to determine if the baby had been alive before being left at Fort Taber.
Through review of surveillance video of the park and DNA testing, investigators connected the child to Escobar-Mejia, the DA’s office said. No cause of death could be determined for the baby.
Escobar-Mejia was released Monday on personal recognizance, but ordered to abide by all Department of Children and Families orders. She is expected to return to court on Sept. 12 for a pretrial conference.
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