NEW YORK - The death of a baby found in a dumpster in Brooklyn last week has been ruled a homicide, police said Tuesday.
The infant was found Feb. 17 in a dumpster at the Coney Island Houses after the mother, Jahmika Small, 27, called police and said she had given birth but did not know where the baby was, authorities said.
The baby was thrown into a trash compactor and died from a head injury, sources told the NY Post. Police found the baby- who was born earlier in the month- inside the dumpster. The gender was not revealed.
Small was arrested the next day on charges of reckless endangerment and acting in a manner injurious to a child. She reportedly told police her boyfriend had dumped the baby, according to the Post.
The death is under investigation, and the charges could be upgraded, police said.
Information on Small's attorney wasn't immediately available.
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Last week, the body of a 2-year-old boy was found in a dumpster at an apartment complex in Wyoming.
Athian Rivera was found several hours after he was reported missing in Cheyenne around 1 p.m. Friday. Police have not said how the boy died and if they suspected foul play.
Notes of condolence and dozens of stuffed animals were attached to a chain-link fence partially surrounding a dumpster at the apartment complex Monday. A fierce wind blew and few people were out in the area.
The Facebook account of Cheyenne resident Kassy Orona led with "RIP my perfect innocent son, Athian Emmanuel Rivera" and included several posts of mourning.
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"I don’t know how I’ll ever get over this ... you’ll always be with me baby boy," read one post by Orona's account Friday.
The post indicated Orona had two other children but didn't explain or hint at how the toddler died or got in the dumpster. Orona didn't return a Facebook message seeking comment and didn't have a listed phone number.
Police and firefighters conducted an extensive search Friday after hearing of the missing toddler. They used a reverse 911 call to tell people within a half-mile (1 kilometer) of the Lexington Hills apartment complex to be on the lookout for him.
With the Associated Press