Police: Mom dumped newborn baby in Wal-Mart trash can
A Louisiana woman was arrested over the weekend after cops say she gave birth to a baby inside a Walmart before dumping the girl in a trash can at the store.
On Christmas Eve, an employee at the store in the town of New Roads reportedly found the baby girl. She was initially unresponsive but was soon stabilized by medical personnel.
The baby's mother, 34-year-old Kyandrea Thomas, was taken into custody on Christmas Eve after the New Roads Police Department said she checked herself into an area hospital and was treated.
The Advocate reports that Kyandrea Thomas was a bell ringer soliciting donations for the Salvation Army when she went into labor. Multiple media contacts with the charity were unavailable for comment Monday afternoon.
According to police records, Thomas is linked to the 2009 death of a 3-year-old boy, along with two other employees of a Baton Rouge daycare.
Thomas was charged at the time with negligent homicide after Damiyn McElveen died after being left in a hot car for six hours. She was sentenced to five years probation and 10,000 hours of community service.
Thomas is now charged with attempted second degree murder in her daughter's death.
According to WAFB, the baby girl is in stable condition and has been given the temporary name Olivia.
