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The body of a baby girl was found in a Texas gas station, sparking a police search for the woman believed to be the child’s mother.
Houston patrol officers responded to a call for assistance from the Houston Fire Department after they were alerted to reports of an infant death at a gas station at 13114 South Post Oak Road at about 4:25 a.m. on April 2.
When officers arrived, they learned that an unidentified Hispanic woman had entered the gas station bathroom and left alone after about 15 minutes.
Some hours later, a customer went to use the restroom and called 911 upon discovery of the infant’s body.
HPD
Houston Police Department (HPD) paramedics responded and attempted to provide medical assistance, although it was determined the baby had been dead for hours before being found.
Officers are still searching for the woman, who is wanted for questioning regarding the incident. No arrests had been made in connection with the death as of August 1.
An HPD spokesperson said in a July 31 statement: “The cause of death of the female infant is pending verification by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2020 the infant mortality rate in the U.S. was 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
The CDC says the five leading causes of death among the 20,000 infants who died in 2020 were birth defects, preterm birth, sudden infant death syndrome, injuries such as suffocation, and maternal pregnancy complications.
In Texas, there were 1,946 registered infant mortality deaths in 2020, bringing its mortality rate to 5.29 per 1,000 live births, slightly lower than the national average that year.
Vermont had the lowest registered infant mortality deaths with 18 that year, which corresponded to a death rate near 0, meanwhile Mississippi had the highest death rate at 8.12 per every 1,000 live births.
According to ABC13, HPD homicide detective Calab Bowling claimed on July 31 that the woman seen in the footage had given birth inside the restroom.
He added: “No one else went inside that bathroom and (the baby) was not there when she walked in before. It’s tragic that it’s played out the way it has.”
Anyone with any information as to the identity or whereabouts of the person of interest, or the unknown white Cadillac vehicle, has been urged to contact the HPD Homicide Division at 713-308-3600, or to speak anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Newsweek has contacted the HPD for comment via email.
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