Mother Who Tried to Drown Her Baby Face-Down in Toilet Won’t Face Prison Time

Mother Who Tried to Drown Her Baby Face-Down in Toilet Won’t Face Prison Time
Stock image of a toilet. Lanz Andy/Pixabay
Venus Upadhayaya
Updated:

A California mother who tried to drown her newborn immediately after birth in a toilet at a McDonald’s restaurant restroom will not face any prison time.

Twenty-seven-year-old Sarah Jane Lockner gave birth to a boy on Sept. 4, 2017, while working as a cashier in McDonald’s in Redwood City, reported KMOV.

On Friday San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Garratt placed Lockner under four years of supervised probation and also ordered her to complete her parenting classes.

Lockner was originally charged with attempted murder but she didn’t object to pleading guilty to the lesser charge of felony child endangerment in a plea deal on Jan. 14.

This child was the second for her, she gave birth to her first child at home five years ago. She told prosecutors that in both the cases she was unaware of her pregnancy.

What Happened Inside the Bathroom?

On that day Lockner went to the restroom many times complaining of a stomachache. During one trip a colleague noticed blood on the floor and Lockner described it as a heavy period.

Another colleague went to check on her the second time and looked over the toilet enclosure and saw Lockner holding a newborn with his head down in the toilet. The colleague told investigators she heard her flushing the toilet as she stepped down.

The mother told her colleagues not to call the police but they did anyway and on arrival, the officers found the baby not breathing and without a pulse.

The baby was rushed to a hospital and placed under a medically induced coma and has recovered.

District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe told KMOV that the child is under the care of his father’s aunt and is doing well.

A Similar Case of a Father Trying to Drown Baby

In a similar case, a Missouri father tried to drown his baby daughter but she miraculously survived.

He was arrested after walking to a police station and confessing that he watched his daughter sink in a pond after allegedly trying to drown her.

Jonathon Zicarelli, 28, allegedly admitted that the baby was in an icy pond near Doc Henry Road in Greenwood, Missouri, reported the Kansas City Star on Dec. 18, 2018.

Officials said they discovered the child on her back and they thought she was a “porcelain doll.”

“There was no emotion whatsoever,” Greenwood police spokesman Aaron Fordham said of Zicarelli’s demeanor.

That’s when Police Chief Greg Hallgrimson and Cpl. Tom Calhoun rushed to the pond “in a reactionary state,” said Fordham to the Star.

Jonathon Zicarelli, 28, allegedly admitted that his baby was in an icy pond near Doc Henry Road in Greenwood, Mo., reported the Kansas City Star. (Jackson County Detention Center)
Jonathon Zicarelli, 28, allegedly admitted that his baby was in an icy pond near Doc Henry Road in Greenwood, Mo., reported the Kansas City Star. Jackson County Detention Center

Calhoun waded into thigh-deep water in his police uniform, vest, and boots to get the child.

He said the child’s skin had a lifeless color and she had mud in her eyes along with grass and water in her mouth. Police had estimated the girl was in the water for 10 minutes or longer.

Calhoun rushed the girl to the bank of the pond and cleared her lungs before performing CPR, the Star reported. In a few moments, the child started breathing, Fordham said.

“There was absolutely someone watching over that child today,” he said.

Calhoun and Hallgrimson removed the child’s wet clothing and wrapped her in the chief’s shirt to keep the baby warm. Then, first responders arrived to rush her to a hospital.

Later, hospital officials said the girl was in good condition and was stable with her condition improving, the Star reported. “The news came down through the chain and there was a huge sigh of relief,” Fordham said.

Zicarelli was charged with first-degree domestic assault, the Star reported. It’s not clear if he will face more serious charges.

Zicarelli allegedly told investigators he wanted to kill his daughter for the past day due to “bad thoughts,” saying he was stressed during the holidays and wanted to make things easier for his wife.

The man said he went to the water three times to make sure it was possible to sink the child beneath the surface. Then he went to the police department to confess.

Epoch Times reporter Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Venus Upadhayaya
Venus Upadhayaya
Reporter
Venus Upadhayaya reports on India, China, and the Global South. Her traditional area of expertise is in Indian and South Asian geopolitics. Community media, sustainable development, and leadership remain her other areas of interest.
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