A deceased newborn baby girl was found wrapped in a towel and dumped in a University of Tampa trash bin on Sunday.
The infant’s mother has been located and is now hospitalized, but her name has not been released to the public.
It is unclear what condition the baby’s body was in or her cause of death.
The case remains under investigation and no charges have been made public as of Tuesday evening.
“The loss of a child is always a tragedy,” said Chief Bercaw in a press release from the Tampa Police Department. “As our department actively investigates this incident, we want all expectant mothers to know there are resources available.”
Florida has a Safe Haven Law in which parents can anonymously surrender their infants within seven days of their birth. The deadline is being extended to 30 days beginning on July 1.
The Tampa Police Department press release added, “Florida has a Safe Haven Law, which allows parents to anonymously surrender an unharmed newborn infant seven days old or younger to any Fire Station, EMS station, or hospital staffed by full-time emergency medical technicians, paramedics, or firefighters. There will be no questions asked, and no charges will be filed for surrendering a newborn under the Safe Haven Law unless the infant has signs of abuse or neglect.”
Those seeking to surrender a baby can call the National Safe Haven Alliance Hotline at 888.510.BABY (2229) to be guided to the nearest safe drop location.