Baby dumped in bathroom trash can-Mother charged with second-degree murder

A Hispanic woman who reportedly has been in America for only a month has been charged with second-degree murder after giving birth to a baby boy and leaving him to die in a trash can at a local restaurant.

Lillian Elezebeth Sosa, 18, of Talley Road, Smithville, was charged with the crime Monday upon her release from a Cookeville hospital, according to Smithville Police Chief Richard Jennings. Bond is set at $1 million.

‘We had an interpreter there and she didn’t make any kind of statement at all,’ Jennings said. ‘

The baby, which is believed to have been carried for about eight months, was described as weighing 5 pounds, 14 ounces and measuring 19 inches long. He was believed to have been alive when first discovered but, according to the chief, died en route to or at the local emergency room. An autopsy is being performed. The chief added there were no signs of trauma or marks on the child, but there was an indication the umbilical chord had been pulled apart and not cut cleanly from the womb.

Sosa was a new employee at El Rancho Restaurant on West Broad Street.

‘Right now I do not know why she did it, or if she knew she was pregnant,’ Jennings said.

The story began to unfold Friday night when a female customer could not enter the bathroom because the door was locked. Later, it was learned there was blood on the floor and another restaurant employee was dispatched to clean up the area. After the restaurant closed, the restroom was cleaned again and that’s when an employee found the infant inside the trash can.

The manager called 911 and police soon began an investigation with the help of two Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents.

It was soon learned Sosa, at one point Friday evening, told the manager she did not feel well and asked if she could leave. She was granted that request and a short time later, a woman described as Sosa’s aunt picked her up at the restaurant.

It was after interviews with the staff that Sheriff Patrick Ray was asked to pick up Sosa for questioning and he brought her to Smithville Police Department for TBI questioning. Sosa was then taken to DeKalb Hospital and it was determined she needed surgery. She was transferred to the Cookeville facility.

Jennings, a veteran officer, was asked his thoughts about such a cruel, emotional case. Fighting back tears, he said, ‘I will never forget it.’

As for Sosa’s legal status, Jennings said he is not sure if she is here legally.

Tennessee has a Safe Haven law that prevents prosecution of a mother who surrenders an unharmed newborn up to 3 days old to a hospital, birthing center, community health clinic or walk-in clinic. Churches, police departments and fire halls have been known to be ‘safe havens’ for babies, too.