‘We were shocked’: Investigation launched after baby’s body found in garbage truck
The remains of a baby were discovered in a garbage truck in the North Texas neighborhood of Red Oak last week, launching an investigation by police.
Shortly before 2 pm last Thursday, dispatchers received a call from DCI sanitation workers on their route in the Glen Eagles gated community that includes 108 high-end homes, according to CBS News. The workers were collecting trash when they noticed the baby, who appeared to be a newborn or infant, in the back of the truck.
The Ellis County Police Department responded to the scene and released a statement.
“On Thursday, November 21, 2024, at approximately 1:45 pm, the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch center received a call from local sanitation employees advising while on their garbage route, they located a deceased baby in the 1300 block of Saint Andrews Drive in Red Oak, Tx,” said Sheriff Brad Norman.
“Investigators with the Ellis County Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigation Division arrived on scene and confirmed the report. This investigation is active and ongoing. No additional information is available at this time.”
A witness said the crew thinks the baby’s remains were collected at some point on the route prior to the discovery, so police retraced the path of the truck and are carrying out forensic analysis on the baby’s body. Homeowners are aiding police by checking their doorbell cameras for evidence.
“We were shocked,” neighborhood HOA President Kevin Jackson said. “I mean, this is a pretty quiet neighborhood. Nothing like that’s ever happened before.” He called the situation “heartbreaking.”
Though the community is gated, there are times when the gates are left open.
“Typically, it’s open for a couple of hours in the morning and afternoon for the school buses. Outside of that, I mean, people are free to, I guess, give out their access codes as needed,” said Jackson.
Safe Haven laws exist in every state to prevent such tragedies from being committed. In Texas, the Safe Haven law is known as the Baby Moses Law. It allows parents who feel unable to care for their baby a safe and legal location in which to leave their child, no questions asked. Babies must be 60 days old or younger and unharmed, and they can be dropped at any hospital, fire station, or emergency medical services (EMS) station in the state. The baby must be given to an employee who works at one of the locations and the parent must tell that employee that they are leaving their baby at a Safe Haven. Parents do not have to give identifying information, however, employees may ask for important medical information. Parents who follow this law will not be prosecuted for child abandonment or neglect.
[Editor’s note: This story originally was published by Live Action News.]