Baby's Mother, Wayne Woman Charged In Connection With Fetus Discovered In Home

WAYNE, NJ — Two people were charged in connection with a fetus discovered in the basement of a Wayne home, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office announced. The baby wasn't moving or breathing after Nicole Tsentas gave birth in July 2020, so Amanda Walker helped her store the remains in a storage container inside the home where the fetus was discovered, according to authorities.

At first, Tsentas wrapped the baby in a blanket and placed it in her closet, according to the prosecutor's office. She then told Walker about the baby, and Walker assisted her in moving the fetus into the basement of a Wayne home, authorities said.

When Tsentas, 33, of Emerson, asked for the storage container, the residents of the home retrieved it from the basement and discovered the fetus inside, officials said. The home's residents reported their discovery to police at about 5:45 p.m. Sunday.

The Medical Examiner's Officer took custody of the remains, and the results of the autopsy remain pending as of Wednesday morning.

Walker, 36, lives in Wayne, but her relation to the home where the fetus was allegedly discovered wasn't immediately clear. Patch asked the prosecutor's office and will update with any response.

Tsentas and Walker were charged with disturbing and desecrating human remains — a second-degree crime. They're set to appear Friday in court for central judicial processing.

The state filed a motion for pretrial detention, which a Superior Court judge will hear.

Anyone with additional information on the case can contact the prosecutor's office's tips line at 1-877-370-PCPO or tips@passaiccountynj.org, or call the Wayne Police Detective Bureau at 973-694-0600.

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