Crime & Safety
Newborn Found In Garbage Bag In Worcester Woods; 2 Arraigned
A person came in to the police department to report an unusual odor coming from a bag behind a building in the woods.
WORCESTER, MA—A man and a woman are facing charges after police found the remains of a newborn in a garbage bag in the woods behind a building in Worcester.
Edwin Santiago, 31, and Jennifer S. Rheaume, 36, both of Lake Ave, Worcester, were arraigned on Tuesday, charged with disinterment of a body, concealing fetal death out of wedlock and trespassing on railroad tracks, reports the Worcester Telegram and Gazette.
On Monday at 8:43 a.m., a person came to the lobby at police headquarters to report an unusual odor coming from a bag at 375 Lake Ave. When police got there, the caller said he saw a bag that had a strange odor and was worried about what was inside. Police found that the bag had been moved and was now at the 384 Lake Ave. area, according to police.
Behind 384 Lake Ave., in the woods, police found the bag, and inside it, the remains of a baby. After the discovery, the Detective Bureau and Crime Scene Unit responded, secured the scene, and interviewed witnesses.
According to police, while officers were on scene, they spotted a man and woman walking on the railroad tracks behind the address, where there is a "no trespassing" sign. The male, identified as Santiago, 31, Lake Ave, and Rheaume, 36, Lake Ave., were placed under arrest and charged with Walking on Railroad Tracks. After further investigation and interviews, they were subsequently charged with Removal of a Human Body, and Concealment of the Death of a Child.
DCF was notified of the investigation. The cause and time of the baby’s death are currently unknown, pending autopsy results. It is also unknown whether the baby was alive at the time of delivery. The investigation is ongoing.
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