A newborn baby was found dead inside a garbage bin near a dormitory of a university in Florida.
Cops responded to a report of a deceased infant close to McKay Hall at the University of Tampa shortly before 7pm on Sunday, police said.
Arriving officers discovered a just-born female wrapped in a towel and inside a trash bin, stated the Tampa Police Department on Monday.
Meanwhile, the child’s mother was also located and taken to a nearby hospital, cops said.
‘The loss of a child is always a tragedy,’ stated police Chief Lee Bercaw.
‘As our department actively investigates this incident, we want all expectant mothers to know there are resources available.’
The infant has been taken to a medical examiner for an autopsy to determine her cause of death and developmental stage.
CCTV showed police department forensic teams near the dorm which is located in the middle of the campus and houses freshmen, FOX 13 reported.
Students got a campus-wide text message alert shortly before midnight informing them of an investigation by McKay Hall and asking them to stay a way from the area. It stated that there was no threat to the campus.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact the police department.
The tragedy led the police department to remind the community that the state has a Safe Haven Law that lets parents surrender an infant seven days old or younger anonymously to a fire station, emergency medical services station or hospital, with no questions asked.
Parents surrendering a newborn under the law will have no charges filed against them unless the infant has suffered abuse or neglect.
The infant girl was found more than three months after an infant’s body was discovered in a box dumped in a trash bin outside an apartment in Hollywood, Florida.
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