Minor Kept Dead Newborn In Drawer, Police Searching For Baby's Father

A 17-year-old girl who gave birth to a baby in her home put the body of the dead newborn in a drawer. The incident took place in Utah and local police said Wednesday that an investigation was launched to find the man who impregnated the teenager.

According to reports, the girl gave birth to the child on March 30 and police learned about the incident after they were called to the residence on April 18 and found the decayed body of the infant.

The girl's father "had located a deceased infant wrapped up in a shirt and robe, and then put into a closet drawer. The infant was deceased and decayed," according to the warrant. According to a criminal charge filed in 4th District Juvenile Court and a newly unsealed search warrant affidavit, the girl never reported about the incident to authorities.

"Instead, the minor wrapped the child in clothing and placed the child in a drawer in a closet in her bedroom," charging documents state.

Saratoga Springs police said the girl told authorities that she was raped in August of 2017 while attending a party in West Valley City and became pregnant and later gave birth in the family's bathtub. The baby "was under the water for several minutes" and the girl "later found the baby to be deceased," the affidavit states.

According to police, the girl was successful in hiding her pregnancy by wearing baggy and oversized clothing.

"During the investigation, officers and detectives were not able to locate anyone who was aware of (the girl) being pregnant," the warrant states.

While an investigation is underway to find the man responsible for impregnating the girl, police also determined that the girl's "stories did not add up, and she was not telling the truth."Police said Wednesday they are "looking at all possible angles" in determining who fathered the child.

When the teen was asked whether a particular person was the father, the girl "would not answer those questions very directly, and would move on with other conversation," police noted in the affidavit.

The girl was charged in juvenile court in June with abuse or desecration of a dead body, a third-degree felony. Since the last few months, the girl has been placed on probation and ordered to undergo therapy by a judge.