A 20-year-old Iowa woman is facing a first-degree murder charge for allegedly giving birth and stuffing her baby into a trash bag at the daycare center where she works.
Emergency crews responded to the Acorns and Oaks Christian Daycare in Perry on Tuesday after being called for a woman experiencing vaginal bleeding. Stephanie Ubaldo was transported to a hospital, where she allegedly told staff she had given birth in the bathroom, KCCI reported.
Officers searched the day care and found the dead newborn in the trash can. Investigators said Ubaldo confessed to intentionally injuring her baby’s face to try to stop the child from crying.
“So murder is a class A felony, which is, you know, the maximum penalty is life in prison without parole,” said Chief Jim Archer of the Perry Police Department. “So it’s probably the most serious charge we have, you know. You can be sent to prison for life.”
Officers arrested Ubaldo on Thursday and booked her into the Dallas County Jail, according to the report.
The Perry Police Department (PPD) emphasized to the public in a press release that Iowa has a Safe Haven law allowing for the legal surrender of newborns up to 90 days old to hospitals, healthcare facilities, fire stations with 24-hour staff, adoption service providers, and Safe Haven Baby Boxes. PPD also referred the public to crisis pregnancy centers, which offer assistance to at-risk mothers.
