Mother, 24, Appears In Court On Murder Charge For Allegedly Leaving Newborn In Garage
MOUNT CLEMENS (WWJ/AP) -- The 24-year-old Eastpointe mother who is facing child abuse and murder charges in the death of her 2-day-old baby was back in court Monday.
Angela Alexie didn't talk during her initial appearance in trial court Monday afternoon in Macomb County Circuit Court. In February, a judge said Alexie created a high probability of death after giving birth in an Eastpointe garage.
Police say Alexie gave birth in a garage in Eastpointe on Dec. 22 and left the baby. It died two days later, likely from exposure to cold weather. The body was found at a recycling center in nearby Roseville on Jan. 14.
The child died on Christmas Eve after Alexie allegedly kept him in a garage with a broken window for two days.
Defense attorney Steve Kaplan said that he believes she didn't purposefully kill the newborn.
"My client is responsible for he child's death, but we do not believe that she intended to physically harm the child or cause seriously great bodily harm," Kaplan said. "We think that the appropriate charges are involuntary man slaughter ans second-degree child abuse."
Alexie had three other children, ages 1 to 4, but doesn't have custody of them. Alexie's uncle, Jerry Alexie, said that the family is in disbelief over this situation.
"We're all shocked -- myself, my family, my wife, my daughters -- everybody is shocked," Jerry Alexie said. "Nobody knew that she was pregnant again, to my knowledge."
Kaplan said that Alexie is distraught about her son's death.
"Angela Alexie is very depressed, she was depressed beforehand, even more depressed now and she is extremely remorseful about the child's death," Kaplan said.
Four prosecution witnesses were enough to establish probable cause on February 20 for Alexie to be bound over on both felony murder and first-degree child abuse charges. Alexie admitted the child was hers, but said that she did not leave the boy in a recycling container.
Alexie is charged with a form of first-degree murder that carries a sentence of life in prison. Alexie will be back in court on April 28th.
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