NJ Mother of Abandoned Newborn Left Girl To Die In Mercer: MCPO

Authorities say they have arrested mother of a newborn girl found abandoned in a vacant building in New Jersey.

Yardis Perez-Perez, 27, of Trenton, was charged with second-degree manslaughter and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child after leaving the girl to die, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office.

Police found the deceased baby girl inside a vacant building on the 800 block of South Broad Street on April 23 when she was a day or two old, according to the MCPO. Perez-Perez allegedly gave birth to the child and abandoned her soon after.

Several infants have been abandoned this past 2 months in New Jersey, and at least two of them have died. One of them was found in a suitcase. Another was found in a duffle bag.

New Jersey Department of Children and Families Commissioner Designate Christine Norbut Beyer is urging parents considering abandonment to find a safe haven for their children as an alternative to abandoning their babies.

Here are at least three instances Beyer is referring to:

• The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office is currently investigating a dead infant found in a suitcase near the PATH tracks last week in Jersey City. The body was found early afternoon just off the train tracks underneath The Tonnelle Avenue Bridge in Jersey City, the prosecutor's office said.
• The Middlesex County prosecutor announced Monday night they found the teen mother of the newborn baby boy found abandoned Monday afternoon in Highland Park. The newborn baby boy has died, and the mother, 14, was charged with a juvenile offense that, had she been above 18, would have been a first-degree murder charge, Middlesex County prosecutor Andrew Carey said.
• Police are asking for the public's help after a newborn baby was reportedly found in a duffle bag that was left on the home of a porch in Trenton. The baby was no more than two days old when it was found on Sunday, although it is unknown how long the baby was on the porch, according to News 12. The baby was taken to the hospital for treatment, and is in good health. Read more here...

Beyer pointed to the state's Safe Haven program, which was designed specifically to avoid the sort of tragedy "that we’ve seen happen not once, but three times in the last several days."

“Safe Haven exists as a blame-free alternative to abandonment, where you can safely, legally and anonymously surrender an unwanted child," she said. "To anyone who’s ever felt that they weren’t ready to take on the responsibility of parenthood, please explore all of your options before putting your babies’ lives in danger.”

MCPO photo