Newborn baby found dead in back of a garbage truck in NW Harris Co., HCSO says

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Residents of a northwest Harris County subdivision are shaken up after a newborn baby boy was found dead in the back of a garbage truck.

The discovery was made at about 9:30 a.m. Wednesday in the 13200 block of Fountaincrest Court in the Chimney Hill subdivision.

According to the Harris County Sheriff's Office, the baby was anywhere from one day old to 30 days old.

"They got to a point where they had started to repack trash," Sgt. Sidney Miller said of the sanitation workers who found the baby's body. "That's when they discovered the infant in the bottom of the trash can."

Cheryl Boen lives nearby and said she was watching ABC13 when she realized the footage she saw was being taken outside of her home.

"It came up on the screen, and my jaw dropped," Boen said. "I came out here to see what was going on."

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Miller acknowledged that the sheriff's office has a large investigation on its hands. He said they'll be talking to people in hundreds of homes in the area.

Miller said the neighborhood consists of anywhere from 400 to 500 residences.

He added that they'll also be inspecting the other contents of the truck to see if any trash is capable of offering additional clues.

They are also not ruling out the possibility that someone from outside Chimney Hill entered the neighborhood only to abandon the body.

Germany Scott, who has lived in Chimney Hill for six months, said she couldn't believe what happened.

"I kind of sat quiet for a minute," she said.

Scott is pregnant with her third child.

"There are multiple things you can do if you don't want a baby," Scott said. "An innocent baby doesn't deserve to be in the trash can."

Texas has the Baby Moses Law, which allows parents to legally drop off a newborn they cannot raise.

RELATED: Multiple babies found abandoned last month in Houston: 'It's heartbreaking'

According to CPS, five babies have been found abandoned while three were turned in through the Baby Moses Law in the last 11 months across Houston.

The baby can be left at any hospital, fire, or emergency medical services station in the state.

The baby has to be 60 days old or younger, as well as safe and unharmed.

The Texas Department of Family and Protective Services states anyone leaving a baby at one of these places must tell the employee they want to leave it at a "safe haven."

If you know anything about Wednesday morning's discovery, you're urged to call the homicide division of the Harris County Sheriff's Office at 713-274-9100. You can also leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers of Houston at 713-222-TIPS.

For news updates, follow Chaz Miller on Facebook, X and Instagram.