Firefighters Find Infant's Body Inside Markham Home
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The remains of a child were found in a plastic bag inside a vacant home in South suburban Markham.
Hamlin Avenue residents said they woke up to fire trucks screaming by around 5:30 Monday morning. They say smoke was pouring out of the roof of the normally vacant house.
Firefighters snuffed it out, and in doing so, made the startling discovery. Police confirm a dead infant was inside the home and removed the child's remains.
The medical examiner confirms the child is an African American girl, believed to be around 12-months-old.
Neighbors said they could not believe how this tiny fire investigation panned out, and added that they haven't seen any movement at the house in questions for years.
"It's terrifying because I have a little guy who is going to be 8, and his swing set is just adjacent to that -- his whole play area is a crime scene," said one neighbor, Rebecca Orris.
Karen Pokracki, who's lived in Markham for nearly 40 years, called the neighborhood "quiet" and "safe."
It's not clear whether police have any potential suspects or are questioning anyone at this time.
It is not clear how or when the baby died.