A 17-year-old named Leticia Rodriguez allegedly killed her own newborn baby by removing her son's umbilical cord with a knife and later cutting off his heart. The boy was found dead inside a house in Georgia and Rodriguez, according to authorities, was digging a hole in the backyard. Police charged her with murder on Wednesday, November 27.
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According to the police, and reported by The Independent, Leticia Rodriguez gave birth to her son earlier on Sunday, November 23. All alone, Rodriguez used a "sharp knife" to cut her son's umbilical cord. However, Rodriguez ended up cutting the baby, producing "large lacerations." She would admit this to the police later, with authorities then claiming Rodriguez cut out her son's heart with a pocket knife.
Rodriguez would later wrap her son in a blanket and stuff him inside a grocery bag for six hours. "We did see the mother of the deceased infant digging a hole in the backyard in an attempt to create that situation," Chuck McPhilamy, Marietta Police Public Information Officer said at a news conference. However, Rodriguez did not bury her son when authorities arrived.
They would later transport Rodriguez to WellStar Kennestone Hospital to treat her for what is described as the "trauma of childbirth." After receiving treatment, authorities later transferred her to the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on Wednesday. The Marietta Police Department charged her with felony murder, felony aggravated assault with a weapon, concealment of death, abuse of a dead body, and abandonment of a dead body.
A Traumatic Event
Police have been collaborating with Rodriguez's family, who have struggled with the traumatic experience. "The family has been cooperative with us through this entire investigation, and certainly, our hearts go out to them," McPhilamy said. "We can't imagine the trauma that they are going through."
Meanwhile, shocked neighbors were heartbroken after learning the details surrounding Leticia Rodriguez and her alleged murder of her son. "I've been here 30 years and nothing like that happened in this neighborhood as far as I know," Theresa Neill, one of Rodriguez's neighbors said. "It's just sad that something like that has shown up and you know my heart goes out to anyone who loses children."
"I would never have thought anything like this would happen here. All of the family was standing outside and everybody looked so calm, it was puzzling."
