Teen Is Accused of Smothering Baby to Hide Birth, Then Burying Child in Cemetery Flower Pot
The teenage mother of a newborn baby found dead in a cemetery flower pot last month has been arrested.
PEOPLE confirms that Jazmin Lopez, 18, of Dallas, has been charged with capital murder in the case.
In early March, a caretaker at a cemetery in Carrollton noticed that a flower pot was out of place. He emptied the urn and found the tiny body of a newborn baby girl.
According to a news release from the Carrollton Police Department spokeswoman Jolene DeVito, authorities determined that the girl was born between 34 weeks of gestation and full term, and her umbilical cord was still attached. She weighed just under 6 lbs.
Lopez allegedly came forward after seeing a news report about the baby’s body being found, MyFox8.com reports.
An arrest warrant obtained by KDFW alleges Lopez initially told authorities that she had been home alone when she gave birth and that her newborn was not breathing.
But when authorities looked at the teen’s phone, they saw a photo of what appeared to be a living baby, the warrant states.
RELATED: Body of Newborn Baby Girl Found Buried in Flower Pot in Texas Cemetery
Police interviewed Lopez for a second time, and they allege her story was completely different. According to the arrest affidavit, she said her father, uncle and grandmother were home while she gave birth in the bathroom, after which she smothered the baby by accident in an attempt to silence the newborn’s cries to conceal the birth.
“Jazmin demonstrated that she took her shirt off and wrapped the baby up,” the affidavit states. “Jazmin said the baby was moving and gasping for air. Jazmin said she knew the baby was about to cry so she covered her mouth. Jazmin said she took the shirt and covered the baby’s face and then held the baby against her body for one to two minutes.”
Lopez allegedly called a friend for help. She said she covered the baby in blankets, but when she got to her friend’s car, she realized the baby had died. “She wasn’t moving like she was before,” Lopez allegedly told police, according to the arrest affidavit.
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Lopez told authorities that she and her friend went to Home Depot and bought a flower pot. They allegedly filled it with soil and flowers and buried the infant inside. Then they dropped it off at the cemetery.
Police allege that Lopez had no plans to care for the baby, and hadn’t purchased clothes or diapers for the child. She allegedly didn’t seek any medical care. Additionally, police say that they found evidence on her phone that Lopez had looked into abortion before the baby was born.
PEOPLE confirms that she is being held at the Dallas County Jail on $500,000 bond. She has not yet entered a plea, and it is unclear whether she has retained an attorney.
