Mother denied she was pregnant: Newborn found wrapped in plastic bag inside box in trash bin

Keith Paul

Thursday, Aug. 9, 2001 | 11:04 a.m.

A woman accused of placing her newborn in a shoe box and leaving it in a trash container said she was going to give the baby away, but when the baby girl was found she was wrapped in a plastic grocery bag "and the top of the bag was folded over," according to court records.

Monique E. Tucker, 28, was charged Wednesday with attempted murder and was being held in the Clark County jail this morning. Tucker is accused of giving birth in her Charleston Boulevard apartment and leaving her 7 pound, 14 ounce newborn girl in the trash to die.

"Police interviewed a number of witnesses that indicated that unfortunately she just wished this baby to disappear and took steps to make that happen," District Attorney Stewart Bell said. "When you intend to take the life of another and are unsuccessful, then it is attempted murder."

The baby was found in the trash bin by a maintenance worker and taken to University Medical Center. The baby will be released from the hospital today into the custody of Clark County child welfare officials at Child Haven, officials said.

In a declaration of warrant, Metro Police investigators talked with several people who said Tucker, who has a 7-year-old, a 3-year-old and an 11-month-old child, constantly denied she was pregnant and made up stories as her belly continued to grow.

Eva Anders, a neighbor at the apartment complex, told police she was talking with Tucker about a week ago and asked if she was pregnant, and she "stated 'no,' she has stomach cancer," according to the court records.

Anders saw the woman Sunday and said she looked pregnant. Anders then saw her Monday morning, and she no longer looked pregnant, the declaration of warrant states.

Paramedics and police were called when the baby was found. Tucker was seen walking to her car with blood on her leg and the back of her dress. Tucker first said that she didn't know she was pregnant. She said she gave birth in the bathroom of her apartment Monday morning but was "afraid to tell anyone because her husband told her if she had another baby he would leave her," the report states.

She told investigators she put the baby in the box in the trash bin on her way to the store to get some sanitary napkins because she was bleeding after giving birth. She contended she was going to return for the child.

Assembly Bill 191 was passed this year allowing a parent of a newborn to abandon the child to officials at places such as hospitals or firehouses.

"Ms. Tucker states when she returned to the residence she had plans to remove the box from the garbage receptacle and take the infant to the hospital or fire department. She states she read in the paper that a parent could take their newborn child to one of these locations and not be asked any questions," the report states.

However, when Albert Lopresti, a grounds keeper at the apartment, brought the shoe box containing the newborn girl to the apartment of Jennifer and Marshall McKillop, the baby was wrapped in a plastic bag.

"She states that the bag was very bloody, and she had to pull it away from the baby's face," the report states. "She states that the baby's back was on the seam of the bag and the top of the bag was folded over."

McKillop states she immediately pulled the plastic away from the infant's face to ensure the baby could breathe. The ends of the bag were not tied, but because of blood and amniotic fluid, the plastic bag was stuck to the baby's face, the report states.

There have been recent incidents of parents accidentally leaving their children in cars and the babies dying because of the heat. Those parents were not charged.

Lt. Tom Monahan of Metro's sex assault and abuse unit said investigators and prosecutors reviewed the facts of the case Wednesday before deciding to file the attempted murder charges against Tucker.

Bell said leaving a baby in a child seat in a car is an accident and not criminal.

"The issue is, was it an intentional or an inadvertent act?" Bell said. "I can't imagine putting a baby in a box in a (trash bin) is an inadvertent act."

The trash container at the apartment was due to be emptied by the trash company Monday -- the day Tucker is accused of putting the child in the trash bin -- between 2 p.m. and 10 p.m.

Tucker's husband, Kenlon Tucker, said he suspected his wife was pregnant and questioned her several times, the report states.

"He admits approximately two months ago he told Ms. Tucker that he would leave her, but states he told her this because he felt she was lying about the pregnancy," according to the report.

Tucker's mother, Dee Evans, contacted the police, stating her daughter spoke with her about the incident the day after the baby was found and "she does not seem to understand the severity of her actions."

Evans told police Tucker has lied before about being pregnant.

When Tucker was pregnant with her 11-month-old child, she denied being pregnant.

Evans told told investigators the child "was born on the kitchen floor of the Tucker home."

Tucker's mother said, "Monique is a habitual liar, and if the baby was not found, she does not believe she would have gone to retrieve the box from the garbage receptacle as she has indicated," the report says.

"She states she believes Monique would have never said anything about it," according to the report.

Tucker is scheduled to make an initial appearance in Justice Court Monday.