Brianna Moore, Tampa college student gives birth to newborn only to dump baby in trash can and return to sleep. Autopsy determined former college student caused the child’s death.
A 19 year old Tampa, Florida college student has been arrested after giving birth in her dorm, only to then dump the newborn baby in a trash can and then return to sleep.
Brianna Moore, 19, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect with great bodily harm, failure to report death, and unlawful storage of human remains after she was arrested on Friday.
Her college roommates at the University of Tampa reported hearing a baby crying and discovered blood in their dorm on April 27. When officers arrived, they spoke to Moore, who denied she was pregnant and claimed the blood was from her menstrual period. However, the next day, roommates discovered a bloody towel in her trash and called the cops, who later discovered a dead baby wrapped in a towel.
According to authorities, Moore said she gave birth in a dorm bathroom and had held the baby tight against her body until the child stopped weeping. However, an autopsy discovered the child had multiple fractured ribs and a bleed on the brain, FOX13 reported.
The suspect claimed after the baby stopped crying, she tried to find a heartbeat and placed the newborn on a towel, thinking they had died. Moore cleaned the baby with water before falling asleep for an hour, according to police. She woke up and then placed the child in the towel and in a trashcan before falling back asleep again.
The Medical Examiner the cause of death to be homicide.
During police questioning, Moore told investigators that she hadn’t had a period in about a year and didn’t know she was pregnant but ‘may have been in denial,’ a criminal affidavit stated.
‘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,’ State Attorney Suzy Lopez said in a statement. ‘Instead, she took actions that directly led to the death of her newborn baby.’
‘So many people told me they would have taken that baby girl into their home and raised her as their own,’ Lopez said. ‘The bottom line, though, is this: Brianna Moore took actions that directly led to the death of this newborn baby girl. And in doing so, she broke the law.’
WATCH:
Hillsborough State Attorney @SuzyLopezSA gets emotional as she announces manslaughter charges against 19 yr old Brianna Moore accused of killing her newborn baby girl….despite the fact there is a Fire Station across the street and Tampa General Hospital 2-3 mins away. pic.twitter.com/hgEBPV8jFH
— DeSantis Appreciation Society (@KickboxerEsq) October 18, 2024
Lopez said Moore was arrested in her home state of Mississippi in the town of Quitman and will be extradited to Florida.
Lopez has vowed to make sure Moore will be held accountable for her actions.
‘For crying out loud, there’s a fire station across the street from the University of Tampa,’ Lopez stated. ‘Tampa General Hospital is a mere two to three minutes away by car.’
Not immediately clear is why the teen hadn’t elected to give up the baby to the state under the Safe Haven Law which allows for newborns to be dropped off at a hospital, police or fire station, or freestanding emergency centers without facing legal repercussions. Florida allows unwanted newborn to be ‘given away’ provided the baby is younger than 30 days and unharmed.
