Emergency crews were called to the area at around 3:17 AM local time last Thursday after the grim discovery was made. According to multiple reports, a woman allegedly walked into the Waffle House and told staff she had given birth in a nearby portable toilet. The autopsy showed the baby was alive at birth, Gretna Police Deputy Chief Jason DiMarco said.
The infant's body was discovered in liquid cleaning chemicals inside the portable toilet tank, the Jefferson Parish Coroner's Office reported. An autopsy found the baby died from asphyxia by drowning. 2 lbs and had been born during the third trimester of his mother's pregnancy, the coroner's office stated.
The baby had not been given a name.
The baby had not been given a name, Tim Genevay, director of forensic operations for the coroner's office, confirmed. The infant is likely to receive a 'pauper's burial' unless relatives come forward before the end of April, officials said. Police believe the child's mother was homeless at the time she gave birth.
Louisiana's Safe Haven Law allows parents to hand over custody of a newborn up to 60 days old without facing prosecution, providing an alternative to abandonment. The mother's identity and location remain unknown, and police have not specified whether the drowning was accidental or intentional. No suspects or charges have been announced, and the investigation is ongoing.