A 17-year-old mother named Leticia Rodriguez is facing serious charges after she was reportedly seen trying to bury her dead newborn baby in her backyard.
Police were called to her home on Sunday afternoon after someone suspected there had been a death of a newborn. When officers arrived, they found the baby had already died.
Investigators say that Leticia had just given birth to a baby boy and was digging a hole in her backyard about six hours later. Her uncle saw her digging and called the police. The police confirmed that she was trying to bury the baby but that the infant was never actually buried.
Leticia was taken to the hospital for treatment but will be arrested once she is released. She faces felony charges for hiding a death, abusing a dead body, and abandoning a dead body.
A neighbor, Theresa Neill, was shocked by the situation. She saw police activity outside her window and expressed her concern for the neighborhood, saying it’s frightening and sad to think something like this happened.
Officials are waiting for the medical examiner to determine the cause of the baby’s death, which could lead to more charges. The examiner will figure out if the baby was born alive and other details about the infant’s condition.
