Allentown Mother To Stand Trial In Death Of Infant Found In Paint Bucket
ALLENTOWN, Pa. (CBS/AP) — The mother of a newborn whose body was found in a paint bucket in the basement of her Pennsylvania home will stand trial in the baby's death. A judge issued the ruling Wednesday during a preliminary hearing for 30-year-old Ashley Caraballo.
The North Whitehall woman is charged with homicide, concealing the death of a child and abuse of a corpse.
Lehigh County prosecutors have said Caraballo was taken to a hospital in October 2017, where doctors found evidence that she had recently given birth, although she denied having done so.
During surgery for heavy vaginal bleeding, doctors removed a portion of placental tissue and an uncut portion of an umbilical cord from Caraballo. She also had injuries to her cervix, leading doctors to believe the baby was "ripped out" since she was not fully dilated.
Police found a deceased male baby wrapped in a sheet inside a backpack within a 5-gallon paint bucket in the basement. Two forensic pathologists concluded that the baby died after being born alive.
Caraballo's attorney did not present a defense during closing arguments of the hearing and declined comment afterward.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
