Baby Found In Bag Was Born Alive Then Suffocated, Say Police

Police say that a baby found in a shopping bag this week in Manhattan was born alive then suffocated.

According to ABC, the baby was found dead in a shopping back at a Victoria’s Secret store on Thursday afternoon. Police say that Tiona Rodriguez and Francis Esteves, both 17, were attempting to shoplift from the store when one of the guards noticed a strong smell coming from their shopping bag.

Sadly, a dead baby was found in one of their shopping bags.

An official cause of death has not been determined yet, but police said today that they believe that the baby was born alive and then asphyxiated. The NYPD is still awaiting a report from the Medical Examiner’s office before officially declaring a cause of death.

CBS reports that Rodriguez was five to six months pregnant when she gave birth to the child. According to the girl’s Facebook page, she may have not known that she was pregnant. On Wednesday, she posted a message complaining about “cramps.”

One of her neighbors said: “I couldn’t really tell because she’s a little heavyset, so I wouldn’t know if she was pregnant, pregnant or that’s just her. I hope she didn’t do nothing to the baby. That’s all. I hope she didn’t do it,”

Rodriguez told officers that she was carrying the baby in her shopping bag because she had an unexpected delivery and didn’t know what to do.

Both girls have been charged with larceny, but police said that more serious charges could follow once the autopsy is complete.