A tragic incident unfolded when a newborn baby was discovered deceased in a portable toilet. The Gretna Police Department and emergency medical services responded to a call at the Waffle House on 52 Westbank Expressway in Louisiana around 3:17 am last Thursday. The authorities were alerted by a woman who had entered the restaurant and informed them that she had given birth in a nearby portable toilet.
Subsequently, the lifeless body of the newborn boy was located in the tank of a portable toilet close to a construction site at 62 West Bank Expressway, just a block away. A post-mortem examination revealed that the infant was born alive, as confirmed by the police who were summoned to the scene near a Waffle House in Louisiana.
During the investigation, law enforcement officers encountered Lekesha Lemelle, a 37-year-old woman, who disclosed that she had delivered the baby in the portable toilet at 62 Westbank Expressway. Lemelle expressed uncertainty about the duration between her giving birth and the condition of the newborn.
An autopsy conducted by the Jefferson Parish Coroner’s Office determined that the baby boy had succumbed to asphyxia by drowning. Weighing 7.2 pounds, the child was born in the third trimester of the mother’s pregnancy, as per Nola.com.
The baby, referred to as Baby Boy Lemelle by authorities, will receive a pauper’s burial unless his next of kin contacts the coroner’s office before the end of April. Gretna police have obtained a warrant for the arrest of Lekesha Lemelle on a charge of second-degree murder. Lemelle, who is believed to be homeless and had been residing in the vicinity, was receiving medical treatment and was expected to face charges upon discharge.
Lise Naccari, the founder of Compassionate Burials for Indigent Babies, expressed sorrow over the tragic outcome, remarking that the mother missed an opportunity to seek help. She highlighted the importance of the SAFE HAVEN LAW, which allows parents to leave their newborns at designated safe locations anonymously, without fear of legal repercussions for abandonment.
This legislation offers a way for parents to ensure the safety of their infants by providing a means to surrender them safely and securely.
