Mother comes forward after infant found dead in bag in Conn. reservoir

HARWINTON, Conn. -- Connecticut State Police say they’ve located the mother of an infant found dead last week inside a bag in a reservoir.

Police say troopers were notified the remains had been found in Harwinton March 21 by maintenance workers. Police say the mother has come forward and has spoken with detectives, reports CBS affiliate WFSB.

The child has since been identified and the woman was provided with necessary care at a local hospital, the station reports.

Police say the baby boy was born about one to two weeks ago. The cause of the infant’s death was still being determined. 

The mother’s name was not released and it wasn’t clear whether she would face charges. There’s been no arrests and police would only say they’re still investigating, reports the station.

The reservoir is maintained by the City of Bristol Water Department. The department says the public water supply is safe. The reservoir has not been used in recent days and will remain offline.

After the discovery, some lawmakers and advocates are questioning whether enough is being done to publicize a law that allows parents to drop off newborns at a hospital - no questions asked. All 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have Safe Haven laws with varying provisions in place, with the goal of protecting newborns from abandonment or even infanticide. But many of these laws were passed without funding for public outreach.

In Connecticut, an infant who is 30 days old or younger can be left at a hospital and the parent will not face prosecution for abandonment. The Department of Children and Families then obtains custody and places the baby with a family that’s already licensed and intends to adopt the child.