Additional Coverage:
- Idaho woman, 18, arrested after dead infant found in Safe Haven Baby Box at a hospital (foxnews.com)
An 18-year-old Idaho woman, Angel Newberry, has been arrested for allegedly dropping a dead baby in a Safe Haven Baby Box at a local hospital.
The Safe Haven Baby Box program allows parents to anonymously surrender unharmed newborns without facing legal consequences. However, leaving a harmed or deceased infant is not protected.
Police responded to a report of a dead baby in the baby box at Grove Creek Medical Center on October 13th. Hospital staff quickly realized that the infant had died before being placed in the box.
Newberry’s arrest follows an investigation conducted by Blackfoot Police in collaboration with Twin Falls Police. She has been charged with failing to report a death to law enforcement and the coroner.
The Safe Haven Baby Boxes group has condemned the incident as an illegal and deadly abandonment. They emphasize that anonymity is only provided when an infant is surrendered alive and unharmed.