OLYMPIA — Prosecutors say a 23-year-old Washington woman accused of dumping her newborn baby boy in an Olympia hospital trash can falsely told relatives and hospital staffers that she had ovarian cancer.
On Wednesday, a judge set bail for Jasmine Marie Ritchey of South Bend at $50,000. She was arrested Tuesday for investigation of second-degree attempted murder and second-degree abandonment of a dependent person.
Court papers say the baby was found in the Providence St. Peter Hospital restroom trash can about 5 a.m. Tuesday, blue in the face with his umbilical cord tied around his neck.
Police say the baby is expected to survive.
The documents say Ritchey complained of stomach pain when she arrived at the hospital, saying she was receiving chemotherapy. A doctor ordered pain medication, but requested a urine sample. A nurse who found her in the restroom heard “small grunting sounds” from the trash can.
Prosecutors say Ritchey later acknowledged that she knew she was pregnant, but said she “needed to get her life together before having more children.” The Olympian says Child Protective Services will take custody of two daughters, ages 5 and 2.
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Information from: The Olympian, http://www.theolympian.com
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