A 20-year-old Perry, Iowa, woman is facing a first-degree murder charge after her newborn daughter was found dead inside a trash container at the child care center where she worked.
Stephanie Ubaldo was arrested Thursday, two days after emergency crews were called to Acorns & Oaks Child Care for a report of severe vaginal bleeding. The facility is located on the Perry Lutheran Home Eden Acres campus in the 1300 block of 28th Street.
According to the criminal complaint, Ubaldo told investigators she had given birth in a bathroom at the child care center. Investigators allege that she had known she was pregnant for several months but had not told anyone.
The investigation began Tuesday, Sept. 15, when Dallas County Emergency Medical Services responded to the facility shortly before 5 p.m. Ubaldo was taken to a hospital for treatment.
Later that evening, police were notified that a premature infant could be inside a trash container at the daycare. Officers arrived and found the baby deceased inside a trash bag.
Investigators allege that after giving birth, Ubaldo heard the baby crying and intentionally injured the infant’s face in an attempt to stop the crying. The criminal complaint also alleges that she planned to return to work after the birth but was unable to do so because of continued bleeding.
The infant was not a child enrolled at or being cared for by the daycare, according to authorities. The baby was Ubaldo’s daughter.
An autopsy determined that the baby was between 32 and 36 weeks’ gestation. Investigators reported multiple injuries, and the medical examiner ruled the manner of death a homicide.
The arrest came after investigators interviewed Ubaldo and continued examining what happened inside the daycare. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation assisted Perry police with the case.
Ubaldo remains in the Dallas County Jail on the first-degree murder charge. A criminal charge is an accusation, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Iowa’s Safe Haven Law Draws Attention
The case has also renewed attention on Iowa’s Safe Haven law, which provides a legal option for parents who are unable or unwilling to care for a newborn.
Under the law, an infant younger than 90 days can be surrendered at designated safe locations without the parent being prosecuted for abandonment. Hospitals and other approved facilities can serve as safe-haven locations.
Perry Police Chief Jim Archer has urged people facing a crisis pregnancy to seek help rather than face the situation alone. The law and other pregnancy-support resources remain available to people who need assistance.
The investigation into the infant’s death remains ongoing, and further court proceedings will determine the allegations against Ubaldo.
