Baby Dead in Dumpster, Columbia Woman Charged

A day after a newborn baby was found dead in a Columbia County dumpster, New York State police charged Tara J. Tomlin, 20, with second-degree murder.

The search began when police were contacted by a man at 3:40 a.m. Nov. 27, who said that he suspected the presence of a baby outside the XtraMart on Bells Pond in Livingston, New York.

Troopers were there by about 3:52 a.m. , but their search failed to reveal the presence of any child, police said.

After that, police received additional information, which resulted in their discovery of a newborn boy in a garbage bag in a large waste container. EMTs from the Greenport Rescue squad were on the scene and determined that the baby was dead.

Coroner Michael Blasl directed that an autopsy be performed at St. Peter’s Hospital by Pathologist Jeffrey Hubbard, M.D. Dr. Hubbard determined the cause of death to be homicide, more specifically, asphyxiation.

Police, in coordination with the Columbia County District Attorney’s Office, arrested Tomlin Nov. 28.

Tomlin, a Livingston resident, was arraigned in Livingston town court on the felony charge by the Honorable Judge Robert Q. Moore and sent to the county Jail without bail.

Anyone with any additional information is asked to call the New York State Police at (518) 851-3111.