Texas Mother Arrested for Abandoning Live Baby in Dumpster

A newborn baby with the umbilical cord still attached was recently discovered abandoned in a dumpster. Texas police have arrested the mother in their search for who is responsible.

Abandoned Baby in Texas Dumpster

Police officers in Austin responded to a call made in the afternoon of September 20 claiming that two people could hear a baby crying from inside of a dumpster.

When police arrived to the location in North Austin on N. Lamar Blvd., they discovered a newborn baby left in the dumpster with its umbilical cord still attached. The child was declared to be in good health after being rushed to the nearby Dell Children's Medical Center for immediate care.

Child's Mother Arrested

Austin police, on September 25, revealed that the suspect arrested in relation to the baby abandoned in a dumpster was, in fact, the mother.

22-year-old Neli Dinora Rivera-Felipe was arrested and charged with the second-degree felony of abandoning/endangering a child involving imminent danger.

Rivera-Felipe was identified as the culprit through use of video surveillance footage and accounts provided by neighbors living at the apartment complex where the baby was found.

After waiving her right to remain silent, Rivera-Felipe told investigators that she had given birth to the child on September 19, just one day before the discovery, inside of one of the apartment's bathrooms. After claiming the baby was lifeless at birth, she allegedly was scared and decided to place it in a bucket before putting it in the dumpster.

Rivera-Felipe was sent to a Travis County jail on September 25 on a $50,000 bond to await further court proceedings.

Safe Haven Laws in Texas

Texas offers legal protection for those who feel they are unable to support a child called the Safe Haven law (or the Baby Moses law).

This allows parents to leave their newborn child at a designated safe place, such as a hospital or fire station. The baby will then be placed with an emergency provider.

You can see the full list of requirements for this law to take into effect on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services website. For example, the baby must be 60 days old or younger and unharmed.

You must also hand the baby to an employee at any of the acceptable facilities and inform them that you wish to leave the child at a Safe Haven.