A 20-year-old daycare employee in Perry, Iowa is facing a first-degree murder charge after a newborn was found dead in a trash bag inside a trash container at the facility where she worked. Stephanie Ubaldo was arrested Thursday, days after police say the infant's body was discovered at Acorns & Oaks Child Care.
Perry police officers found the newborn Tuesday evening inside the trash bag at the daycare, according to KCRG. Police say Ubaldo is the mother of the newborn, and as reported by WKRC, she worked at the child care facility where the baby was found.
Ubaldo told investigators she delivered the child in the bathroom of Acorns & Oaks Child Care, the facility that employed her, per a report from KCCI. Dallas County Emergency Medical Services had been dispatched to the facility shortly before 5 p.m. Wednesday after a report of a woman experiencing vaginal bleeding, the outlet's report notes.
Complaint Alleges Baby's Face Was Injured to Stop Crying
A criminal complaint alleges that Ubaldo intentionally caused injuries to the baby's face in an effort to stop the baby from crying, according to the same account from KCCI. The infant was not under the care of Acorns & Oaks and was not a client of the daycare center, police told KCRG, distinguishing the newborn from any children regularly enrolled at the facility.
Perry police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation opened an investigation into the infant's death earlier in the week before Ubaldo's arrest, according to CBS 2 Iowa. Ubaldo was reported held without bond at the Dallas County Jail following her arrest, per The Perry News.
Case Remains Under Investigation
Court records reviewed so far confirm the first-degree murder charge against Ubaldo, but details on any scheduled court appearance, plea, or defense response have not been made available. The medical examiner's determination on the manner of death has been described as homicide, according to WeAreIowa. The investigation by Perry police and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation remains active.
