A Florida woman was arrested Monday after she gave birth to a premature baby girl and allegedly abandoned the child under an empty plant pot, authorities say.
Martha Gonzalez-Diaz, 20, is charged with child abuse and neglect. The Guatemala native recently moved to South Florida and was reunited with her boyfriend. Godinez-Diaz’s boyfriend told police that she called him complaining of stomach pains, but when he and his parents arrived, she said she was fine. They did, however, noticed a change of size in her abdomen.
The boyfriend’s father searched the backyard and found the baby still moving under an empty plant pot, local ABC10 reported.
“The bucket appeared to be a deliberate attempt at concealing the child, possibly in an attempt to muffle (the baby’s) cries,” a police affidavit said.
Godinez-Diaz’s boyfriend defended her saying that, “She never put the baby under anything.” He claimed that after he discovered she gave birth, they called an ambulance.
According to police, Godinez-Diaz claimed she was alone when she gave birth and put the baby on a blanket for protection. She claimed to have been in a recent car accident that resulted in memory problems loss, the affidavit said.
When paramedics arrived, the baby was reportedly found wrapped in a blue blanket with dirt and leaves all over her body and the placenta still attached.
The baby was sent to a local hospital for treatment, where it remained as of Tuesday night. Police said the baby is suffering from a “genetic malformation of the brain.”
Godinez-Diaz is currently being held on a $100,000 bond. If she posts bond, she will have to remain under house arrest.
[Image via ABC10 screen grab]
