Authorities in Florida say a woman was arrested on suspicion of dumping her newborn baby girl into a dumpster.
According to Fox News, 35-year-old Rafaelle Alessandra Carbalho Sousa of Boca Raton was denied bond and remained behind bars on charges expected to include attempted murder and child abuse.
The baby, weighing 6 pounds and 8 ounces, defied the odds and was found alive. A pair of maintenance workers near the scene reportedly heard noises coming from the dumpster and investigated.
After receiving treatment at a local hospital, she was transferred into the custody of the Florida Department of Children and Families.
Investigators reportedly found a receipt and blood-soaked napkins near the child in the same dumpster. The receipt led officers to the suspect’s Boca Raton home.
In court, Sousa — a native of Brazil — explained her position through a translator. She claimed the baby was not breathing and she attempted to revive her, returning multiple times after dumping her to ensure she was not alive.
WPTV cited court documents indicating she claimed there were people near the scene both times, so she did not approach the dumpster again.
Sousa is reportedly married and police say a man at the residence told them he did not know she had been pregnant.
In addition to the charges directly related to this incident, immigration officials say she is the subject of a deportation detainer.
[Featured image: Rafaelle Alessandra Carbalho Sousa, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office]
