TAMPA, Fla. — A former Florida college student is facing several charges in the death of her newborn infant, whose body was found wrapped in a towel in a trash can.
Investigators said Friday that Brianna Moore, 19, is charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect with great bodily harm and two other counts. State Attorney Suzy Lopez said in a news release that Moore was arrested in her home state of Mississippi and will be extradited to Florida.
“It breaks my heart to know that this baby girl could still be alive today if this woman had alerted authorities that she needed help. Instead, she took actions that directly lead to the death of her newborn baby,” Lopez said.
It was not clear Friday if Moore has an attorney to speak on her behalf.
Prosecutors say Moore’s roommates heard a baby crying in their University of Tampa residence hall the night of April 27 and found blood in their shared bathroom. Campus security was summoned and Moore told them the blood was from menstruation, Lopez said.
Moore’s roommates called police again the next day after finding a bloody towel in a trash can and officers discovered the infant’s body wrapped in the towel.
Florida’s Safe Haven law allows parents to anonymously surrender unwanted infants up to 30 days after birth with no questions asked. A parent who has just given birth can surrender a child to medical staff at a hospital or any fire station.