Authorities in Texas detained a lady after she allegedly gave birth inside a 24-hour fast food restaurant’s restroom and put the baby girl’s corpse in the toilet.
Mallori Patrice Strait is being held at San Antonio’s Bexar County Jail on a $100,000 bond after being charged with abuse of a body, according to court records.
According to an arrest document obtained by San Antonio CBS station KENS, employees at a Whataburger on the corner of FM 78 and Walzem Road reported a lady entering the business around midnight Thursday.
She apparently locked herself in the bathroom at 2 a.m. and remained there for several hours. The manager reported that the woman could be heard making various noises.
Employees gave her water and offered assistance. However, she apparently refused to go. They eventually contacted 911 to have authorities check on the woman’s condition.
Deputies from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office arrived and detained the woman. Firefighters also arrived to the eatery and allegedly discovered “human-like material in the restroom.”
Related coverage:
The affidavit stated that a baby girl was still in the amniotic sac inside the toilet. First responders took the girl and Strait to the hospital. Doctors declared the girl dead. According to reports, Strait was 28 to 30 weeks pregnant.
According to the affidavit, the infant girl seemed to have head injuries, indicating that she had been forced down the toilet. As emergency responders took Strait to the hospital, she reportedly added, “I’m sorry, I’m not selfish.”
An autopsy will identify the cause of death, and charges may be increased if officials believe she injured the baby.
Texas, like most states, has a Safe Haven Law, often known as the Baby Moses Law, which permits parents who are unable to care for their kids to turn them off at a fire station or hospital within 60 days, with no questions asked.