Newborn boy's body found in toilet tank at Cumberland County Fairgrounds
By EDWARD VAN EMBDEN
Staff Writer, 856-649-2072
Published: Tuesday, May 06, 2008
MILLVILLE - On Sunday, the Cumberland County Fairgrounds was the site of a celebration.On Monday, with Cinco de Mayo revelers long since gone, cleaning crews made a gruesome discovery when they found what was originally thought to be an aborted fetus in the upper tank of a public toilet.A preliminary investigation revealed it was a newborn baby boy brought to full-term. County Prosecutor Ron Casella said an autopsy is scheduled for today to determine whether or not the baby was alive when it was born.The ethnicity of the child is not yet known and investigators are not sure just how long the baby was hidden in the tank before being discovered. It is also unknown if the baby sustained any post-birth trauma.
The Cinco de Mayo celebration hosted Sunday by the Hispanic Business Association of South New Jersey was the most recent event held at the fairgrounds. When the property, which is surrounded by a chain-link fence, is not in use, a locked gate is used to keep visitors out.An investigation is being handled by both the Millville Police Department and the County Prosecutor's Office.Beyond the search for a mother, the baby's condition at birth is likely the most sought-after piece of information for investigators.An officer with the Millville Police Department said if the baby was born alive, charges could include negligent homicide, among others. If the baby was stillborn, there would still be charges, though he declined to say what they would be pending further revelations.Dr. Michele Torchia said an important part of prenatal care is psychosocial preparedness. Torchia, an obstetrician who volunteers with Open Arms, a Community Healthcare Inc. operation that offers prenatal care to at-risk pregnant women, said she believes something like this would not have happened had the woman sought help.The circumstances surrounding the cases she deals with at Open Arms are different, but there's one constant, she said, and that is women, no matter what their situation, are looking for assistance.Giving birth to a baby in a place like a bathroom stall makes her think it's likely the mother never told anyone she was pregnant. "This kind of thing where someone gives birth in a remote place, without medical help, it's usually an undisclosed pregnancy. And it's usually a young person, but not always," she said. "Something like this happens because this person was not able to reach out to anyone around her."Torchia said it is likely the mother was alone in knowing of the pregnancy and is alone in knowing of the birth.With New Jersey laws designed to help avoid issues like this, and with numerous institutions, like Open Arms, aimed at offering free support and assistance to pregnant women, Torchia believes that the mother wanted to maintain her secret, no matter what the costs."A person who is afraid of the ramifications of being pregnant doesn't have to be afraid of the unknown," she said. "Leave a newborn at a police station or hospital or a fire station, with no questions asked. There are no arrests, no questions. The idea is to save the baby when you can."To e-mail Edward Van Embden at The Press:evan embden@pressofac.com-30-
Print Story
Email Story
