A 22-year-old Iowa woman has been accused of endangering a child’s life after she reportedly gave birth in a hospital bathroom and then tried to flush the baby down the toilet, believing it to be dead.
The Christian Post reports that Ashley Hautzenrader claimed she did not know she was pregnant until she gave birth. She then attempted to flush the baby down the toilet because she thought it was stillborn. When this did not work, she put the baby in a pillowcase and threw it in a trash can.
"The defendant entered a bathroom by herself and delivered a baby in the toilet. The defendant stated that she did not know she was pregnant prior to entering the bathroom. The defendant thought the baby was dead, due to it not crying and attempted to flush the baby down the toilet," wrote Officer Eli Hotchkin, explaining Hautzenrader’s case.
"The defendant then placed the baby in a pillow case and put the baby in the trash can. The defendant cleaned the bathroom and left the scene. The baby was later found by UIHC employees, where the baby was found alive. The defendant was later confronted by officers, where she admitted to placing the child in the trash after thinking it died," he continued.
The baby was later found by hospital staff, but its fate is not known. The age of the baby at birth or the baby’s sex is also not known.
The child endangerment charge which Hautzenrader faces is an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years in prison. Hautzenrader was arrested on Monday, but is currently out on probation, awaiting her trial.
Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com
Publication date: May 13, 2016
