A teen in Denver is accused of suffocating her newborn by shoving a small rock down its throat, the Denver Police Department said on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
The baby, named Amekah, was discovered behind a home, according to an affidavit. The cause of death was listed as suffocation.
Alaya Dotson, 16, was identified as the mother, the Denver District Attorney’s Office confirmed, and she told cops that she didn’t know she was pregnant until she had the baby, according to a police affidavit.
Then, she allegedly wrapped the child in a blanket and put a rock down its throat.
The child was later rushed to the hospital after Dotson’s mother figured out what had happened and called 911.
A one-inch rock was removed from the child’s throat, and she was pronounced dead at about 8:15 a.m. that morning.
After she was read her Miranda rights, Dotson told police that she suffocated her newborn, FOX31 reported.
Colorado’s Safe Haven laws are designed to prevent incidents like this. The law says that parents can turn in a baby to a staff member at a hospital or fire department with no questions asked.
“A mother who has been hiding her pregnancy can protect her secret while also protecting her baby,” Linda Prudhomme, the executive director of Colorado Safe Haven for Newborns, told ABC7.