Santa Maria police officers arrested a 15-year-old girl Wednesday for allegedly killing her newborn baby the same day she gave birth alone in her Santa Maria home. Officials declined to release her name because she is a minor. District Attorney Joyce Dudley expects to file charges against her on Friday.
According to Santa Maria detective Andrew Brice, officers responded on January 17 to Marian Regional Medical Center hospital to a call about suspicious circumstances. Their investigation led them to a Santa Maria home where they found the body of a baby who had been dead for an undisclosed number of hours. An autopsy completed on January 19 found the infant had suffered traumatic injuries — decidedly not ones sustained during childbirth, police said. Brice said the suspect lived with her parents, who are “not involved in any way with the homicide.” Brice declined to disclose further details about the nature of the injuries.
The suspect was arrested Wednesday at her residence. As of Thursday, the suspect was held at the Santa Maria police station; she is expected to be transported to juvenile hall on Friday.
The homicide is the sixth this month in the City of Santa Maria after 15-year-old Marcos Ramos was stabbed to death near the intersection of East Donovan Road and Suey Road in Santa Maria.