A nursing assistant has been arrested three months after her newborn was found dead on a sidewalk — and police allege she threw the child out of a second-story window.
Police have arrested Emily Jane Dickinson, 20, and Joshua Coleman Wooters, 19, in connection with the March death of their newborn in McConnellsburg, Pa., online court records show.
On March 11, Pennsylvania state authorities found the newborn boy on the street shortly before a coroner declared the child dead, ABC 27, WGAL 8 and FOX 43 report, citing state police.
Troopers responded to a call about a deceased infant and once at the scene, along the road, they found a garbage bag with a bloodied mattress inside of it, according to a complaint cited by FOX 43 and ABC 27.
The coroner determined that the child was less than 24 hours old, per authorities, ABC 27 reports.
The child’s death resulted from “exsanguination from the umbilical stump,” according to a criminal complaint cited by ABC 27.
At the scene, troopers also found a placenta, authorities said, per the outlet.
During the course of the investigation, on several occasions, Wooters allegedly denied having any knowledge about the situation, the complaint states, per ABC 27 and FOX 43.
He allegedly told authorities later that Dickinson cut the baby’s umbilical cord with a knife, per the complaint, WGAL 8 and FOX 43 report.
When speaking with police, Dickinson allegedly told authorities that she did not want any children and was not aware until a few weeks before the birth of the child that she was pregnant, per charging documents, ABC 27 reports. After the child was born in the bathroom, she checked for his pulse and noticed the child was not moving, she allegedly said, per authorities.
After an unspecified amount of time, Dickinson allegedly said she disposed of the child and the placenta because she “wasn’t thinking clearly,” per the complaint, ABC 27 reports.
The complaint states that for his part, Wooters told troopers that Dickinson had allegedly picked up the infant and threw the child out the window, per ABC 27 and FOX 43.
Dickinson and Wooters have each been charged with criminal homicide, criminal homicide conspiracy, concealing the death of a child and abuse of a corpse, online court records show.
In addition, Wooters has been charged with obstruction of the law, per court records.
Both were booked into jail on Tuesday, June 25, and are being held without bail, court records show.
Attorney and plea information were not available for either of them in court records as of press time.
