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Teresa Smith has pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in connection to her leaving her baby in a toilet at a Budget Inn Motel on Route 9W in Newburgh.
According to Orange County District Attorney David Hoovler, on Nov. 1 last year, workers at the motel discovered blood, other bodily fluids and soiled clothes in the motel room and contacted police. The investigation led to officers from the Newburgh Police Department to discover the baby in the toilet bowl.
First responders rendered first aid to the baby, who was rushed to the hospital and survived.
According to Hoovler, prosecutors have argued that "moments after having given birth to the child found in a toilet bowl of her motel room, Smith wholly abandoned the child, leaving him in a toilet bowl, and left the room.” Prosecutors argued that Smith had no intent to return or care for the child as she left the motel.
Hoovler said that after pleading guilty, his office is recommending that Smith, a Newburgh resident, be sentenced to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision. She is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18.
“The judge stated that he would sentence Smith to no more than twelve years in state prison and five years post-release supervision,” Hoovler said. “At the time that Smith pleaded guilty, she admitted that her actions in abandoning the newborn baby in the toilet bowl, and leaving the motel room, caused serious physical injury to the infant which created a substantial risk of death.
“Infants are the most innocent of victims. We can only hope that there are no long-lasting physical effects which will be suffered by the victim in this case. It is hard to comprehend what could drive any mother to intend to harm her own baby by abandoning him under these circumstances.”
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