A baby was left in a shuttered garbage can in a ShopRite bathroom in White Plains after it was born there and not found for more than seven hours, according to a court document.
Guerlande Atila, 32, was arraigned Wednesday, Sept. 2, in White Plains City Court on a felony charge of child abandonment.
According to the felony complaint, Atila was an employee at Shop Rite in the City Center mall and gave birth in the bathroom there at about 11 pm Saturday, Aug. 29. She then placed the baby in the garbage can and placed the lid on the can. She never notified anyone that the baby was there so that medical assistance could be provided.
The baby boy was not found until 6:40 am Sunday, by another employee. Police were notified and first responders took
the baby to White Plains Hospital where he was listed in stable condition. The baby was subsequently turned over to Westchester Child Protective Services.
“There is no happy conclusion to this story,” White Plains police Commissioner Wade Hardy said in a statement. “A family is deeply traumatized by such an event, and our hearts go out to the child. We hope that he may grow and prosper in life and be raised by a loving, caring family.”
Atila did not enter a plea. The felony charge is not bail eligible so she was released from court and ordered back on Sept. 15. She and a male relative declined to comment as they left the building.
Under New York law, Atila could have avoided prosecution if she left the baby at a so-called 'safe haven' - a hospital, a police headquarters or a firehouse - and made sure someone knew it was there.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Mother accused of abandoning newborn in White Plains ShopRite bathroom
