Newborn girl found in Kingsville Walmart trash can leads to grandfather’s arrest
Newborn girl found in Walmart trash can leads to grandfather’s arrest
Scripps News – KRIS Corpus Christi
A grandfather has been arrested in connection with the death of his newborn grandchild after police said the baby was discovered in a restroom trash can at a South Texas Walmart.
The Kingsville Police Department reported officers responded at 10:22 p.m. on Monday July 14 to the store on East General Cavazos Boulevard after an employee called 911 to report finding the baby.
Kingsville is in Kleberg County east of Padre Island, about 40 miles southwest of the city of Corpus Christi.
Arriving officers found Walmart employees attempting to save the baby’s life, police said.
Investigator Celina Tatum, a spokesperson for the police department, told local KRIS-TV the baby was located inside a trash bag in the store’s bathroom.
“Maintenance was able to grab all the trash bags and cans from the actual restroom and he was en route to dispose of them… thought it was a little (concerning) and made contact from other employees,” Tatum told the outlet in a video interview reviewed by USA TODAY.
First responders transported the baby to Christus Spohn Hospital–Kleberg, officials reported, where doctors pronounced the child dead.
Mother of baby found in Walmart trash bag taken to hospital
The newborn’s mother arrived back on scene not long after, Tatum reported, and was taken to a hospital for a medical assessment.
“When she gets released we will speak to her regarding the incident,” Tatum said.
It was not immediately known whether the teen would face charges in the incident.
The police department’s chief said investigators reviewed video surveillance where they watched a young female entering the store where she “remained in the restroom for about 40 minutes before leaving,” WLBT-TV reported. The infant, the outlet reported, was discovered about 30 minutes after the female left.
Police have not identified the mother, but said she was age 17.
USA TODAY does not typically name juveniles in cases.
Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office jail records show Jerry Lee Martinez, the baby’s grandfather, was arrested on charges of abandoning or endangering a child with criminal negligence. He is also charged with tampering with physical evidence with the intent to impair and tampering with a witness.
Martinez, 45, was booked into the jail just after 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday, July 15, according to sheriff’s office records, which show he lives in Mathis, Texas, about 45 miles north of where the child was found in the trash bag.
Grandfather arrested after newborn found in Walmart trash can remains jailed
As of Thursday, July 17, Martinez remained jailed on a $300,000 bond, sheriff’s office records showed.
The 105th District Court Kleberg County clerk on July 17 told USA TODAY a hearing had not been scheduled for Martinez’s case yet, and that an attorney of record was not listed in his case file.
The cause of the child’s death has not yet been released.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call police at 361-592-4336.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.
