Woman Questioned After Newborn Found Dead In Motel Trash Bin

FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) — A Fort Lauderdale woman is under investigation in connection to a newborn found dead in the trash, police said Monday.

"Officers arrived at the hotel and subsequently located an infant's body in an exterior dumpster," Fort Lauderdale Police Det. DeAnna Garcia said.

Someone wrapped the child in a towel and placed him in a pillow case before dumping him with the trash, Det. Garcia explained.

Cops made that gruesome find on August 10th.

That was the same day emergency room doctors at Broward General Medical Center treated Alexandria Sladon-Marler, 33.

"They asked her what she thought she was suffering from," Det. Garcia said. "She advised she'd had an abortion. They found that was not true. She had actually given birth to an infant."

ER personnel contacted police and told them Sladon Marler had been staying at the Fort Lauderdale Beach Palace Hotel.

Authorities were told Sladon-Marler's relative was notified of suspicious activity in the hotel room.

"Her aunt arrives at the hotel, sees evidence of blood," Det. Garcia explained. "She was concerned about the well-being for Miss Alexandria."

Sladon-Marler has been in trouble before. She's been charged with trespassing, petit theft and cocaine possession in cases spanning from 2004 to 2011.

A hotel bartender said Sladon-Marler stopped by the bar for ice a few times, but otherwise, she didn't draw much attention to herself.

"I don't like what happened. It's disturbing," bartender Mike O'Hanlon said. "I certainly don't like it happening at a place where I work."

Detectives said doctors found Sladon-Marler still had an umbilical cord attached when she was treated. According to physicians, the manner in which it was severed matches the umbilical cord found attached to the child.

"She is still being treated at a medical facility and when she's released she'll be charged by our homicide investigators," Det. Garcia said.

In cases like this, police want to remind you of the Safe Haven law.

The rule allows parents of unharmed infants to drop the child off at a hospital or 24/7 fire station no questions asked, without fear of prosecution.