Mother Arrested After Newborn Found In Hospital Garbage Can

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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A mother has been arrested after a newborn, alive and breathing, was found in a hospital garbage can.

Rubi Ramirez went to the emergency room at the Broward Health Medical Center complaining of abdominal pain. While she was waiting to see a doctor, she went to the bathroom. According to the arrest report, that's where she gave birth.

The report states, "Her mother went to the bathroom to check on the defendant and observed her bleeding – the mother alerted nursing staff."

The nursing staff saw the blood and knew there was something wrong, according to the report.

"The staff ultimately located a newborn infant concealed within the garbage can inside the bathroom," the report read.

The baby girl was taken out of the garbage can and rushed to a trauma room. She was alive and breathing and was carried full-term.

According to the report, "Initially the defendant – Rubi Ramirez – lied claiming that she did not know she was pregnant."

Police said Ramirez later confessed to knowing that she was pregnant before arriving at the hospital, and admitted to putting the baby, which she knew was alive, in a garbage can.

She was charged with child abuse without great bodily harm and desertion of a child. DCF said the child has been placed with a foster family.

Also an important note, laws in Florida allow mothers to drop off newborns at hospitals, fire station and police departments with no questions asked.

If you need help or know someone who does, there are organizations you can reach out to. Safe Haven is one of them.