Mother Charged In Newborn's Death Claims She Didn't Know She Was Pregnant
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NEW CASTLE (KDKA) – A woman, whose newborn child was found dead outside a home in Lawrence County, told police she didn't know she was pregnant.
Two people were seen going inside the home where a newborn baby boy was found dead Sunday afternoon. The baby's mother is Brittany Robinson, 23.
She didn't want her face shown as she walked into the state police barracks in New Castle early Monday morning.
She's been charged with criminal homicide. People in the community are outraged by the news.
"There's women out there that can't have kids. They would've died to have this baby," said New Castle resident Cindy Mitchell.
Police say Robinson's father was putting up Christmas lights when he found the baby's body in a crawl space under the porch wrapped in a t-shirt and placed in a garbage bag. He called 911 right away.
"The baby was a viable 7-pound baby boy," said Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Eric Hermick. "The baby was born alive and cleaned up and then placed under there."
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In the criminal complaint, Robinson told police she had no idea she was pregnant. She said she gave birth in the bathtub Friday and told police she didn't notice a heartbeat or pulse. She said she placed the baby in a dresser drawer then went to her job at Big Lots in New Castle.
Co-workers say Robinson was working at Big Lots for just two weeks as a cashier and stock. After coming home and attempting to sleep, she told police she put the newborn in the crawl space under the porch.
However, police executed a search warrant at Robinson's home Sunday. Based on the evidence they found at the home, they say there's proof that Robinson knew she was pregnant before she gave birth to her baby boy.
"She has an 8-year-old child as well at this time. She's familiar with being pregnant and how this all occurs," said Hermick.
Police questioned family members who live in the home where the baby was found. They say Robinson kept her pregnancy a secret and they didn't know anything about the baby.
"They all had to have known she was having a baby. The baby had to have cried whenever she delivered that baby," said Mitchell.
The Lawrence County coroner's office is waiting on final autopsy results to come in to determine the cause and manner of death. As for Robinson, she is being held at the Lawrence County Jail. The judge denied bail.
Robinson's preliminary hearing will be held next week.
