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TWIN FALLS, Idaho (BFMG) — An 18-year-old woman has been arrested after the body of a newborn was discovered in a Safe Haven Baby Box at an Idaho hospital last month.
Police said the infant’s body was found on Oct. 13 at Grove Creek Medical Center in Blackfoot. The newborn, wrapped in a blanket with the placenta still attached, was left in the drop-off box intended for the anonymous and safe surrender of infants, according to Safe Haven Baby Boxes founder Monica Kelsey.
Authorities identified Angel N. Newberry, 18, as the mother of the deceased baby girl during their investigation, the Blackfoot Police Department said in a statement Friday. Newberry was charged with a felony for failing to report the infant’s death to law enforcement and the coroner.
Hospital staff responded to an alarm triggered when the baby was placed in the box and discovered the newborn had died before being abandoned, police said.
“The Safe Haven Baby Box is designed to allow custodial parents to safely and anonymously surrender a newborn under 30 days old without legal consequences, provided the child is unharmed,” the police department said in a social media post. “The placement of a harmed or deceased infant is not protected under Idaho law.”
“We are heartbroken,” Kelsey said last month. “This is an illegal, deadly abandonment.”
Newberry is being held at the Bingham County Jail as the investigation continues. Authorities have not disclosed how investigators linked Newberry to the infant.
Police said additional charges may be filed as they examine the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death.
"We are heartbroken. Let this be clear: this is an illegal, deadly abandonment. Anonymity is only allowed when an infant is safely surrendered, completely unharmed. We are fully cooperating with local authorities in this investigation and providing all information at our disposal."
The Safe Haven Baby Boxes program, operational since 2017, has enabled 52 infants to be safely surrendered and placed into the arms of families eager to adopt. Kelsey emphasized the importance of the service:
*”When utilized correctly, the program saves lives and protects women in crisis. However, when the Safe Haven Law is violated, we work closely with law enforcement to ensure justice for the infant who was abandoned.”*
The Blackfoot Police Department initially responded to the discovery at Grove Creek Medical Center. However, the Twin Falls Police Department is now leading the investigation, coordinating efforts with Blackfoot officers to determine the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.
Authorities from both departments have stated that, in line with protocol for suspicious deaths, this is being treated as such throughout their investigation. Further details are being withheld, and all inquiries are being directed to the Twin Falls or Bingham County Prosecutor’s Office, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Grove Creek Medical Center, which houses Idaho’s only Safe Haven Baby Box, was established as a haven for parents to safely relinquish newborns without fear of legal repercussions. This incident has cast a somber light on the ongoing mission to educate the public about the importance of legal surrenders to protect infants’ lives.
