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Student accused of suffocating newborn
Evan Axelbank reports
TAMPA, Fla. - The University of Tampa student accused of suffocating her newborn after giving birth in a dorm bathroom has been given bond.
A judge set 19-year-old Brianna Moore's bond at $260,000 after an emotional hearing on Friday. The bond is much lower than prosecutors had asked for, after the judge made it clear the details of the case are enough to disturb anyone.
"The defendant told security and EMS that the blood in the bathroom was just from a heavy period and that she was not pregnant and has never been pregnant," said Detective Juan Ramos with the Tampa Police Department.
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Detectives told the judge she admitted she might have been in denial of being pregnant, but that seconds after delivery, she owned up to clutching the baby to her chest for between three and ten minutes.
Pictured: Brianna Moore in a Tampa courtroom.
"That baby was breathing," said prosecutor Lindsay Hodges. "She cried loud enough and long enough for the suite mates and roommates to be awoken by it. And when they heard that and when the defendant heard it, she silenced it."
Documents said she wrapped the baby in a towel and put her in a garbage can. Her roommates – who thought the sounds from the bathroom at 7 a.m. were parts of their own dreams – discovered it and called the police.
An autopsy found the baby died by suffocation and had broken ribs. Prosecutors argued Moore should be given a $500,000 bond.
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"This is a very difficult case," said Tampa Judge Christopher Sabella. "It's difficult because of how sad this case is and how egregious this case is."
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Previous coverage: Baby died after student gave birth in bathroom
The mother of a baby found dead in a garbage bin at the University of Tampa on Sunday told police she gave birth to the baby in a dorm bathroom before it briefly cried and then died, recently released court records show.
But, her defense argued that she is not a threat to the community and that she is not a flight risk, given she has cooperated with detectives.
"There is no evidence of present patterns of behavior that would indicate that she would not appear for court," said attorney Libby Beardsley.
In the end, she got a $260,000 bond, about half of what the prosecution asked for, but she does have to wear an ankle monitor and has promised to stay in Hillsborough County until her trial.
"There is, in fact, a substantial probability that the defendant committed the crime," said Sabella. "That's the easier part of the analysis."
There are no future court dates yet, but at some point, she will have to face charges of aggravated manslaughter.
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