Newborn found dead in daycare trash, 20-year-old mother charged with murder

What began as an emergency call for a young woman suffering severe bleeding has unfolded into a heartbreaking case involving the death of a newborn baby and a first-degree murder charge against the child’s mother.

Stephanie Ubaldo, 20, of Perry, Iowa, is accused of killing her newborn daughter after allegedly giving birth inside a bathroom at Acorns & Oaks Child Care, where she worked, on September 15.

Emergency medical crews were called to the daycare shortly before 5 p.m. after Ubaldo was reportedly found suffering from significant bleeding. She was taken to a hospital for treatment.

But roughly an hour later, police received another disturbing call.

Authorities were told that a premature infant might be inside a trash container at the daycare. Officers rushed to the facility and discovered the newborn girl dead inside a trash bag. Police stressed that the baby was not a child enrolled at or being cared for by the daycare.

According to the criminal complaint, Ubaldo allegedly told investigators that she had known she was pregnant for several months but had kept the pregnancy secret.

Investigators allege that after giving birth, Ubaldo heard her newborn crying. The complaint states that she then intentionally caused injuries to the baby's face in an alleged attempt to stop the crying before placing the infant in a trash bag.

Court records cited by local media said the baby was believed to have been approximately 32 to 36 weeks' gestationand had suffered multiple injuries.

Ubaldo was arrested on September 17 and charged with first-degree murder. She remained in the Dallas County Jail in the latest publicly available reports.

The tragedy has also renewed attention on Iowa's Safe Haven law, which allows parents to surrender an infant up to 90 days old at certain hospitals, fire stations, emergency medical providers and approved adoption agencies. Investigators have not said whether Ubaldo knew the law was available to her.

For police officers who responded to the scene, the death of the newborn has been particularly painful.

Perry Police Chief Jim Archer said cases involving babies are among the most difficult situations officers face. Authorities have also emphasized that resources exist for parents who believe they cannot safely care for a newborn.

A tiny life that had only just begun ended inside a daycare bathroom and trash container, leaving a community confronting a deeply troubling question: how did a newborn who might have had other options available end up dead?

The investigation and court case are continuing.

Ubaldo has been charged but has not been convicted. The allegations contained in the criminal complaint must still be proven in court, and she is presumed innocent unless and until found guilty.