KINGSVILLE, Texas – A newborn baby was found in a trash can in a Walmart restroom on Monday night, according to a Kingsville police news release.
Officers were dispatched to the grocery store after a store employee discovered the newborn in the restroom trash can, police said.
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Upon arrival, officers noticed that Walmart employees were “attempting lifesaving efforts” on the newborn, according to police.
The newborn was transported to a nearby hospital and was later pronounced dead.
Police said surveillance video showed a woman enter the store and spend approximately 40 minutes in the restroom before leaving.
Around 30 minutes after the woman left, police said that the newborn was found.
A Kleberg County sheriff’s deputy stopped a vehicle in the Walmart parking lot on Monday night and found a 17-year-old girl. She was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
Police said the girl’s father, identified as 45-year-old Jerry Lee Martinez, was arrested and charged with abandoning and endangering a child.
As of Tuesday evening, the girl remains in the hospital and will be interviewed by authorities after her release.
Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact Kingsville police at 361-593-8849 or anonymously at 361-592-INFO (4636).
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