LOWER MANHATTAN (PIX11) --- A 20-year-old woman who may have miscarried in a restaurant bathroom in Manhattan last week could face criminal charges after workers found the 1.2-pound fetus in a clogged toilet, authorities said Tuesday.
The fetus, believed to be at 22 or 23 weeks gestation, was found at Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine at 76 Fulton St. near Gold Street in the Financial District just before 10 a.m. on Sept. 30, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny.
The woman was a customer at the restaurant the day before cleaners found the baby in the backed-up toilet, Kenny said.
"She leaves the bathroom and employees are alerted that the bathroom is dirty," Kenny said at a press briefing. "The next day, they come in and find that it's clogged."
The fetus weighed 543 grams, which is around 1.2 pounds, and the placenta and umbilical cord were still attached to the boy, Kenny said.
The medical examiner believed the baby may have taken one or two breaths but wouldn't have been able to survive, according to police. The child had no obvious abnormalities.
Investigators have identified the mother and are working with the Manhattan District Attorney's Office to determine if the woman will be charged, Kenny said.
"Most likely it would lead to the arrest of concealment of a human corpse, which is a (class) E felony," he said.
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She joined PIX11 News in 2022. See more of her work here.
