Voice of the Mid-Columbia | Kennewick, Pasco and Richland, Wash. |
Print
E-Mail
tool name
closeSaturday, Jun. 13, 2009
Hermiston woman indicted in death of her newborn
By Paula Horton, Herald staff writer
HERMISTON -- A 21-year-old Hermiston woman is accused of giving birth in a portable toilet at a Boardman farm and leaving the baby boy to die in the sewage.
Afterward, Araceli Velasquez-Espain complained to her bosses that she had severe menstrual pain and bleeding and was given the OK to leave work early, court documents said.
Velasquez-Espain was indicted Friday on seven charges connected to the infant's June 6 death, including aggravated murder and abandonment of a child.
Other charges returned by the Morrow County grand jury include first-degree criminal mistreatment and two counts each of first-degree manslaughter and second-degree man-slaughter.
It's not known if the infant ever was named. The indictment simply refers to him as "baby boy Velasquez-Espain."
Velasquez-Espain, who has been in the Umatilla County jail since her arrest Monday, will appear Tuesday in Morrow County Circuit Court.
The body of her newborn son was found June 7 when the portable toilet was returned to Hermiston for cleaning.
Details of the discovery and how investigators identified Velasquez-Espain to be the baby's mother were included in search warrant documents filed in Morrow County Circuit Court.
Documents say the baby floated into view from the back of the holding tank when the cleaning worker stirred the sediment from the bottom of the tank and began removing the waste with a vacuum.
"He stated he initially thought the infant was a doll, until he observed the umbilical cord," documents said.
When detectives arrived, they noticed blood on the floor, walls and seat of the portable restroom. Much of the blood appeared to have been wiped up and there was dirt on top of the blood.
Investigators had a difficult time providing a physical description of the infant because the body and attached placenta were covered in fecal material and the blue-colored septic chemical used in the tank.
Detectives determined the portable unit had been at RDO Farms between June 4-6 in an area where organic carrots are grown. Ten crews from Atkinson Staffing had been assigned to the area to weed the carrots.
Investigators zeroed in on Velasquez-Espain after reviewing a list of 13 employees who worked in the area and noticed that she only worked two hours on June 6. The rest of the crew worked 10 hours that day.
They were told Velasquez-Espain complained about menstrual cramps and bleeding and went home early.
Detectives found Velasquez-Espain and told her they were concerned that she had just given birth and wanted doctors to make sure she was OK. Velasquez-Espain denied being pregnant but agreed to be evaluated at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Hermiston.
A urine test at the hospital confirmed she had been pregnant and a physical exam revealed she had given birth recently.
After being taken to the Umatilla County Sheriff's Office, Velasquez-Espain later told investigators that she had given birth in the portable toilet.
She said she felt her water break when she went to the bathroom. She said everything happened quickly and she didn't have any pain and didn't need to push.
Velasquez-Espain said she looked in the toilet and saw the umbilical cord wrapped in a ball with the placenta. She said she "knew her baby was underneath the ball but she saw the blue water was disgusting and she did not want to reach into it," documents said.
Velasquez-Espain, who is married, told investigators she was scared, so she ran and didn't ask anyone for help.
An autopsy conducted June 8 showed the blue septic chemical from the tank was found in the infant's lungs, stomach and about 3 inches into the intestines.
The doctor who performed the autopsy told investigators he was "confident the infant was alive at the time of birth."
The Oregon Department of Justice is helping Morrow County District Attorney Elizabeth Ballard prosecute the case.
The case is being investigated by the Major Crimes Team, which includes the Morrow County and Umatilla County sheriff's offices, the Boardman, Hermiston, Pendleton and Milton-Freewater police departments, the Oregon State Police, and the Morrow County and Umatilla County district attorney's offices.
@Nyx.CommentBody@