A 17-year-old Georgia woman who was previously accused of attempting to hide her dead newborn baby in her backyard is now facing additional charges after authorities say she killed the kid.
Leticia A. Rodriguez, who was detained late last month, has been charged with one count of criminal murder and one count of aggravated assault with a weapon, authorities said.
Rodriguez was originally charged with one felony count each of concealing a death, throwing away or abandoning a dead corpse, and abusing a dead body in the death of her infant son.
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“The ongoing multi-agency investigation has gathered evidence leading to new charges,” the Marietta Police Department announced in a news release on Friday. “Warrant 24-W-11103 has been issued, charging Leticia Rodriguez with Aggravated Assault Weapon and Felony Murder. We do not anticipate any further updates because this is a continuing, active inquiry and there is no danger to the community. The inquiry has been turned over to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.
According to the Georgia Gazette, Rodriguez testified to investigators that she used a “sharp knife” to cut the infant’s throat while removing the umbilical chord. According to a probable cause document acquired by the newspaper, the adolescent told police she “cut out the deceased infant’s heart” with a pocketknife.
As originally reported by Law&Crime, the Marietta Police Department responded to a residence on Gramling Street at 3:20 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 24, for a deceased baby and someone digging a hole in their backyard. Chuck McPhilamy, Marietta Police Public Information Officer, revealed details about the suspected crime during a news briefing.
When first responders arrived to the location, they “discovered the mother of the deceased infant digging a hole in the backyard in an attempt to create that situation,” adding that the infant was “never actually buried.”
McPhilamy stated that the specifics revealed in the probable cause affidavit were “more graphic” than police would reveal publicly, although he did share some information about what cops saw at the site.
“What I can tell you is that when officers arrived on the scene they did find a body that was obviously recognisable as a newborn infant, that that infant was deceased, that that infant was clearly injured,” he said, adding that the youngster “appeared to be a fully formed or full-sized child.”
Rodriguez had given birth at home earlier in the day, according to police, and “had no one of any adult nature or even a peer of hers” willing to help her. McPhilamy stated that Rodriguez was in poor health and required immediate medical attention due to the “trauma of childbirth.”
Rodriguez apparently gave birth in her bed earlier that day, according to Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA. Police allege she covered the boy in blankets and shoved him into a grocery bag, hiding his body for nearly six hours.
Rodriguez’s uncle then allegedly found her digging a hole near a tree in the backyard, intending to bury the child. The uncle then dialled 911.
Furthermore, the document claims that Rodriguez acknowledged to mutilating her newborn’s body using a pocket knife.
The Cobb County Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to identify the cause of death. According to that article, Rodriguez may face more accusations.
Rodriguez is now detained at the Cobb County Jail without bond.