(Gray News) – A former University of Tampa student was arrested for allegedly killing her newborn baby after she gave birth in the dorm bathroom.
The investigation began when university safety employees were alerted to a possible miscarriage on campus.
Authorities said 19-year-old Brianna Moore’s roommates heard the sounds of a baby crying and found blood in their shared bathroom on April 27, according to a press release.
Her roommates called campus police who dispatched an ambulance to check on Moore.
Moore denied being pregnant and told an officer the blood in the bathroom was from her period.
The next day, Moore’s roommates allegedly found a bloody towel inside her trash can, police said.
Authorities discovered the dead newborn baby girl completely concealed inside a towel.
When police interviewed Moore that day, she allegedly admitted to delivering the baby in the bathroom. To stop the newborn from crying, she held the baby tightly to her body.
She told investigators she placed the baby in a towel and put her in the trash can.
The U.S. Marshals Task Force arrested the 19-year-old on Friday in Quitman, Mississippi, according to the Tampa Police Department.
An autopsy revealed the infant had multiple fractured ribs along her spine and hemorrhaging in her lungs.
The cause of death was asphyxia due to compression of the torso with the manner of death being homicide.
“It breaks my heart to know that this baby girl could still be alive today if this woman had alerted authorities that she needed help. Instead, she took actions that directly led to the death of her newborn baby,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez.
Florida lawmakers recently expanded the state’s Safe Haven laws in July to allow parents to anonymously surrender unwanted newborns up to 30 days after birth without any questions.
Moore faces a total of four charges including aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect with great bodily harm, unlawful storage, preservation or transportation of human remains, and failure to report death to medical examiner or law enforcement.
Copyright 2024 Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.