Rafaella Sousa
A woman pleaded guilty in a Florida courtroom on Wednesday to tossing her newborn daughter in a dumpster.
Rafaelle Alessandra Carvalho Sousa, 38, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison for attempted first-degree murder, records show. She also received a concurrent sentence of five years for child abuse. Sousa is getting 1,1176 days credit for time served and must serve five years of probation.
From records:
“ORDER GRANTING MOTION TO RECOMMEND DEFENDANT BE HOUSED IN SOUTH FLORIDA DOC FACILITY AND DEFENDANT TO RECEIVE MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING WHILE IN DOC”
The baby, identified in reports as Sarah Jimenes Carvalho, survived.
Deputies responded on May 8, 2019 to 10374 Boa Entrada Boulevard regarding an infant found in a dumpster, according to a partially redacted probable cause affidavit. Two maintenance workers discovered a baby in a dumpster.
“The infant was inside of a white garbage bag with a red tie and had a yellow and white bag wrapped around its head and face,” deputies wrote. “This bag also contained household garbage and coffee grinds.”
There was another white garbage that matched the first one.
“This second white bag contained several yellow and white striped small bags that match the bag wrapped around the infant’s head,” deputies said. “Also found in the bag was a large bundle of napkins with a large amount of blood.”
Deputies said they found a receipt from a beauty store. There, they matched the purchase to Sousa, who lived right by the dumpster.
“Post Miranda, she stated she [redacted] put the baby and [redacted] in white plastic bag,” deputies said of Sousa. “She ten walked to the dumpster and put the bag containing the baby into the dumpster. She stated she tried to get the baby to respond and waited three hours to see if the baby would breathe.”
She said she returned twice to the dumpster to make sure the baby was dead, but never approached the bag because there were people nearby, deputies said.
“An interview was then conducted with [redacted] who stated he had no idea [redacted] was pregnant,” deputies said. “He found out when police first arrived because she whispered to him it was [redacted] baby in the dumpster.”
The baby’s father, Carlos Jimenez Martins, gained custody of his daughter and Sousa’s son.
“It’s a happy story,” said attorney Christian Romaguera, who worked with Martins in getting custody of the children, according to The Palm Beach Coast in a report from Sept. 30, 2021. “The kids are doing great. He’s doing an awesome job. He just wants to keep living his life and raising his children.”
“I feel very happy,” said Martins (translated from Portuguese) when his daughter turned one, according to WPBF in a report from May 9, 2020. “Today is day of much happiness because we are celebrating a victory.”
[Screenshot via WPTV]