Richmond mom to be charged with dumping and killing her newborn

Baby search in garbage in Richmond. RCMP photo.

By Salim Jiwa

RICHMOND -  (Update) A 20-year-old mom faces charged of infanticide following the discovery of a baby at the Burns Bog Landfill where 35 cops searched to locate the remains lying amid trash.

At times,  nearly 35 officer searched the garbage filled bog area starting Feb. 4 when cops first got word a woman had given birth to a baby and then discarded the child. The infant’s remains were found on Sunday.

“The Richmond RCMP received information from an unknown source about a female who may have been pregnant, delivered and discarded her baby,” said Richmond RCMP Cpl. Jennifer Pound.

“Through investigation the Richmond Serious Crime Unit identified the suspect and determined that she did give birth to a baby boy on Sunday January 21st, 2010 at her boyfriends home in Richmond,” she said.

“While the boyfriend was asleep on the couch his pregnant girlfriend had the baby by herself in the bathroom. She awoke her boyfriend after giving birth and explained she had a miscarriage,” Pound stated.

“With the help of her boyfriend, the mother wrapped the baby in a towel, put him in a garbage bag and discarded him in a nearby school dumpster,” Pound said about facts discovered through investigation.

“In this case she denied the pregnancy through the whole term,” said Pound in an interview. “She told nobody, she didn’t even tell her boyfriend, he didn’t know.”

“It is suggested the cord was around the neck but how many babies do we know that this happens to and they don’t have a chance at life,” she added. “It’s unacceptable.”

Police were told the dumpster had been emptied at the Burns Bog Landfill site.

“Richmond RCMP, along with the Lower Mainland Tac Troop which contains a number of police agencies, diligently scoured the landfill for three days. At times there were upwards of 35 police officers searching for the baby boy.

On Sunday “the team of investigators searching were relieved and horrified to find the remains of an infant amongst the other trash. The infant appeared to be the size of a full term baby.”

The young mom was arrested and released on a promise to appear.

Pound said police are recommending she be  charged with neglect to obtain assistance at child birth, concealing the body of a child, infanticide and indignity to a dead body.

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