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Woman tries to flush newborn down toilet at an IHOP restaurant, Kentucky cops say

The 35-year-old woman denied being pregnant or giving birth, Kentucky police said.
The 35-year-old woman denied being pregnant or giving birth, Kentucky police said. Getty Images/iStockphoto

A woman is accused of trying to flush a newborn down a toilet at an IHOP restaurant, Kentucky police said.

Officers responded to a call May 29 from a witness who said there was a bleeding woman in the bathroom who may have miscarried and was trying to flush the baby down the toilet, according to an arrest citation from the Bowling Green Police Department.

Authorities said they found what appeared to be a “recently born infant in the bathroom,” but the baby was dead when they arrived, according to the report.

The 35-year-old suspect fled the scene on foot when she learned the police had been called, according to the report.

She was found standing in the parking lot of a Red Roof Inn located near the IHOP, police said.

The woman denied being pregnant or giving birth and refused to be medically evaluated, according to police.

She told authorities she was from New York and was “in town on business” but could not provide a home address or any specifics about what brought her to Kentucky, police said.

Concerned for her safety, authorities took the woman into custody for an emergency mental health evaluation, according to police.

She was charged with concealing the birth of an infant.

The police said “an autopsy is pending” and an investigation could bring more charges against the woman.

Bowling Green is about a 125-mile drive southwest from Louisville.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2024 at 12:24 PM with the headline "Woman tries to flush newborn down toilet at an IHOP restaurant, Kentucky cops say."

Lauren Liebhaber
mcclatchy-newsroom
Lauren Liebhaber covers international science news with a focus on taxonomy and archaeology at McClatchy. She holds a bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and a master’s degree from the Newhouse School at Syracuse University. Previously, she worked as a data journalist at Stacker.
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