Harris Co. deputies investigating 2nd baby death in 6 days after newborn's body found in ditch

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- For the second time in nearly a week, the Harris County Sheriff's Office has begun to investigate a newborn's death - the latest happening inside a ditch in front of an industrial concrete plant.

Sheriff Ed Gonzalez posted about the discovery on social media Tuesday afternoon, telling followers that deputies responded to the 15000 block of Henry Road near the Hardy Toll Road in north Harris County.

The sheriff could only say that the child was found in front of the concrete plant but didn't disclose any details on how that baby wound up there or the child's parents.

At the scene, HCSO East Region Patrol Bureau Major John Nanny said deputies responded to a call at about 2 p.m. after a lawn crew doing work in the neighborhood found the infant dead in a very deep ditch.

It appears the newborn was partially clothed and lying on a blanket.

"There apparently has been somewhat of an epidemic on this lately," the major added. "There's been a few of these happen recently, so I'd like to mention the Moses Law - the infant Safe Haven law that allows the mother or the parents to drop a child off at an EMS, fire department, a hospital confidentially to take care of the child."

READ MORE: Explaining the Safe Haven law in Texas

HCSO is still investigating a separate but similar newborn death in a northwest Harris County subdivision, where deputies say a mother may have dumped her baby in a trash can and then crushed it in a garbage truck.

Since the remains were found last Wednesday, the sheriff's office located the child's mother, who reportedly told investigators she was suffering from stomach pain and gave birth before fainting.

They said she realized the baby was unresponsive and dead and later admitted to being scared and discarding the newborn.

The sheriff's office said it was waiting on the medical examiner's office to determine how the baby found on Tuesday died.

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