Photo Courtesy of Google
The boy’s body was discovered inside a trash can at Dutch Kills Playground in Astoria.
By Michael V. Cusenza
The abandonment and disposal of a newborn baby boy, whose decomposed body with attached umbilical cord was discovered on Saturday morning in a trash can at an Astoria park, is “tragic and did not have to happen,” according to Queens District Attorney Richard Brown.
“New York’s Safe Haven Law allows a parent to leave a child 30 days or younger with an appropriate person or in a suitable location, such as a hospital, police station, firehouse or church where the parent promptly notifies an appropriate person of the child’s location,” Brown added. “Unfortunately, the mother of this baby did not adhere to the law and instead chose to stuff the infant in a bag and discard him in a garbage can.”
A foul odor permeating Dutch Kills Playground at 36th Avenue and Crescent Street alerted passersby to the trash bin and the infant. Police are offering a $2,500 reward for information on the incident.
A City Medical Examiner’s Office spokeswoman told The Forum on Wednesday that the cause and manner of death of the child are still pending.
