Minnesota Stillborn Case: Rape charge against suspected father of stillborn baby found in laundry, report says

(CBS) MINNEAPOLIS - Police say the mother of the stillborn baby who was accidentally wrapped in dirty linens and sent to a laundry service by a Minneapolis hospital is 14-years-old, and the father, 32, is now charged with statutory rape, CBS Minnesota reports.

According to police, Jose Armando Recinos-Ramirez faces one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with a minor.

Police began investigating the couple when the teen gave birth to the stillborn child at Regions Hospital in Minneapolis on April 3, the station reports.

The charges state police went to the 14-year-old's home, but she was initially reluctant to talk about the child's father and told police his name was Jose "Resinoz."

She reportedly told police that the baby's father was in the country illegally and fled to El Salvador. Police say she professed her love for him and said she wanted to marry him.

Police later received a call from a relative of Recinos-Ramirez, who said they wanted to discuss the situation. A short time later, Recinos-Ramirez arrived at the police station and reportedly agreed to discuss what happened.

Recinos-Ramirez said the girl told him she was 18 when they first met and he only suspected she might be lying about her age after about a month. According to the station, Recinos-Ramirez said the girl refused to show him her ID.

Recinos-Ramirez reportedly told police the two engaged in sexual intercourse "one or two times" but said he wasn't sure the stillborn baby was his because she was out "messing around."

CBS Minnesota reports Recinos-Ramirez was at the hospital when the child was born.

Last week, workers at a laundry service in Minneapolis discovered the remains of the infant, born at 22 weeks,  while they were getting ready to wash linens. The baby boy was reportedly found inside the pile of laundry in a diaper with an ID bracelet on his ankle.

Regions Hospital issued a statement apologizing for mishandling the stillborn and said its morgue somehow mistakenly wrapped the baby in laundry that was sent off-site for cleaning.

Last Friday, hospital officials announced they believe the remains of a second stillborn baby were also sent in a basket of linens to the same laundry service. Both incidents are being investigated.

Complete coverage of the Minnesota stillborn case on Crimesider