Cops: Baby found dead in recycling likely "suffered greatly"
EASTPOINTE, Mich. -- A woman whose baby was found dead at a Detroit-area recycling center weeks after she gave birth alone in an unheated garage was charged Wednesday with murder and child abuse.
The boy, born just a few days before Christmas, "must have suffered greatly" while left in the garage with low temperatures in the 30s, Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said.
Angela Alexie, 24, appeared in court in handcuffs, with her head down and her long hair covering her face as a detective offered details about a case that has gripped the region for two weeks. According to CBS Detroit, police say she kept the newborn in the garage for two days until he died on Christmas Eve. Alexie reportedly admitted she bundled the child up and left him in a shed on Christmas Day.
A not guilty plea was entered on her behalf, reports CBS Detroit.
Alexie said she had no permanent address. Asked by the judge if she was employed, she said: "no," reports the station.
When a judge asked her how she paid her bills, she replied, "I don't."
Investigators initially believed the baby might be a missing newborn from the Lansing area, 85 miles west, but tests ruled that out. Police were stumped about the boy's identity until crucial tips rolled in due to news coverage.
Eastpointe Judge Carl Gerds set bond at $1 million and said he would appoint a lawyer for Alexie.
She told investigators that she gave birth in a garage in Eastpointe on Dec. 22, behind a home where she was living temporarily, Chief Berlin said. The infant survived just a few days, likely dying due to exposure.
"She made statements that she'd go out every couple hours, try to feed him and see if he was all right until he passed away," the police chief said.
The body was discovered on Jan. 14 at a recycling center in Roseville.
Alexie denied placing the body in a recycling bin for curbside pickup, but Berlin implied police they believe she did.
"She will not admit that she placed the body into a recycling bin, so obviously somebody did," Berlin said, according to CBS Detroit. "We believe she acted alone - we don't believe anyone acted in concert with this but somehow (the baby) was placed in this recycling bin and placed curbside."
He said she didn't give a reason for her actions.
Alexie has no criminal record and is unmarried, reports the station. She was arrested Monday after police received tips from suspicious family and friends who saw news reports.
It's not clear who the baby's father is, reports the station.
Alexie has three other children, ages 1 to 4, but doesn't have custody of them. The 1-year-old was also born without medical assistance, Berlin said.