After Babysitter Charged, Dumped Infant Released From Hospital

NEW HAVEN, CT — The 8-month-old baby girl who was found burned and discarded in a Dixwell Avenue apartment complex dumpster has been released from the hospital, New Haven Police Capt. Anthony Duff said. The baby was released to members of her family, he said.

And as the baby continues to recover from burn injuries, Duff said, the state the Department of Children and Families and New Haven police are still investigating what caused those injuries.

Last week, police charged the infant's babysitter, Andiana Velez, 24, of Hamden with abandoning the baby in a Newhallville dumpster. Police also charged Velez with assaulting the child's 21-year-old mother.

The baby was found by maintenance workers last Monday afternoon at the Presidential Gardens apartment complex in Newhallville.

Velez was charged with risk of injury to a child, second-degree assault and first-degree reckless endangerment, Duff said.

She's being held on a $500,000 bond and is due back in court in early November.

According to court records located by Patch, in 2019, Velez was found guilty of violating a protective order and breach of peace.

And earlier this year, in April, Velez was charged with assault and breach of peace, but was released on a promise to appear.

Police asked that anyone with information on the case call investigators at 203-946-6304.