A 20-year-old Iowa daycare employee faces a first-degree murder charge after police found her newborn daughter dead inside a trash bag at the child-care center where authorities say she had given birth hours earlier.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom.

An Iowa daycare employee has been charged with first-degree murder after investigators say she gave birth to a baby girl in a restroom at the child-care center where she worked, intentionally injured the newborn and placed her body in a trash bag.

Stephanie Ubaldo, 20, of Perry, was arrested Sept. 17, two days after authorities discovered the infant at Acorns & Oaks Child Care in Perry.

The Perry Police Department initially announced the discovery Sept. 15, after emergency medical personnel were called to the child-care facility for a woman experiencing significant vaginal bleeding.

Ubaldo was transported to a hospital for treatment. According to court records cited by The Perry News, she subsequently told emergency room personnel that she had given birth in the daycare bathroom and placed the baby in the bathroom garbage.

Police were then notified that an infant might be inside a trash container at the facility.

Investigators found a clear trash bag containing what court records described as a fully developed baby girl with her umbilical cord still attached. The infant was dead and showed evidence of injuries to her head.

Authorities later said an autopsy determined the infant was approximately 32 to 36 weeks gestational age and had suffered numerous injuries. The death was classified as a homicide, according to reporting based on court documents.

Police announced Ubaldo’s arrest Sept. 17, identifying her as the infant’s mother and charging her with first-degree murder.

Court records allege that Ubaldo knew she was pregnant but had not told anyone.

Investigators said she told authorities that she delivered the child in the daycare restroom in approximately 10 to 20 minutes.

According to the criminal complaint, Ubaldo said she “intentionally caused injuries to the baby’s face in an effort to stop the baby from crying.”

Investigators further allege that she placed the newborn in a trash bag inside a garbage container and intended to return to work but was unable to do so because of her bleeding.

Ubaldo was being held in the Dallas County Jail following her arrest.

Perry Police Chief Jim Archer said the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation was assisting local authorities and emphasized that the investigation remained ongoing.

“The dedication of the law enforcement, first responders and medical professionals, along with the engagement of our community has brought us to a point where criminal changes could be filed,” Archer said. “An arrest is a milestone in an investigation, and this investigation will continue into the days ahead.”

Police also used their announcement to remind the public that Iowa law provides a legal option for parents who believe they cannot care for a newborn.

“Iowa’s Safe Haven law allows parents or authorized individuals to safely surrender an infant up to 90 days old at designated locations without the fear of prosecution of abandonment,” the department said. “These locations include hospitals, health care facilities, fire stations staffed with 24-hour paid or volunteer firefighters, adoption service providers and newborn safety devices, such as Safe Haven Baby Boxes.”

Iowa Health and Human Services confirms that the Safe Haven Act allows a parent, or another person authorized by a parent, to surrender an infant up to 90 days old at qualifying hospitals and health facilities, fire stations, newborn safety devices or adoption service providers without prosecution for abandonment. Parents may also call 911 and surrender an infant to a responding first responder.

The law has been in place since 2002. State officials reported in June that 81 infants had entered the Safe Haven program since its enactment.

“There are numerous crisis pregnancy centers throughout the State of Iowa and resources available to those in need,” Perry police added. “We strongly encourage those in a crisis pregnancy to reach out, people are available to assist you, you are not alone.”

The case comes against the backdrop of Iowa’s restrictive abortion laws.

State law generally prohibits abortions after detectable fetal cardiac activity, subject to specified exceptions, including medical emergencies and certain circumstances involving rape, incest, miscarriage and fetal abnormalities considered incompatible with life. Current Iowa law requires a physician to test for fetal cardiac activity before performing an abortion and generally prohibits the procedure once such activity is detected unless an exception applies.

Iowa also enacted additional requirements governing medication abortion this year.

Under House File 2788, which Gov. Kim Reynolds signed May 19 and which took effect July 1, an abortion-inducing drug generally must be dispensed directly to the patient in a health-care setting such as a pharmacy, clinic, medical office or hospital. The law also established additional in-person examination and informed-consent requirements.

Those abortion statutes are separate from the criminal allegations against Ubaldo, which concern the death of a baby authorities say was born alive.

Ubaldo has been charged, not convicted. Under U.S. law, she is presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation remains active, and police have asked anyone with information about the case to contact the Perry Police Department.

Original article