Brianna Moore, a 19-year-old former student of the University of Tampa, has been arrested after being accused of giving birth in her dorm room and throwing her newborn baby in the trash.
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More Details On Brianna Moore’s Charges & Case
On Friday, October 18, the Tampa Police posted an official news release confirming Moore’s arrest. According to the report, Moore was arrested that same day in Quitman, Mississippi.
Subsequently, the 19-year-old was charged with “Aggravated Manslaughter of a Child, Child Neglect with Great Bodily Harm, Failure to Report Death, and Unlawful Storage of Human Remains.”
Furthermore, the police department’s release noted that Moore is currently being held at Lauderdale County Jail in Mississippi. The 19-year-old is currently pending extradition back to Tampa.
Here’s Why Authorities Believe The 19-Year-Old Former University Of Tampa Student Threw Her Newborn In The Trash
According to ABC Action News, on April 27, campus security for the University of Tampa alerted police about a student possibly experiencing a miscarriage. Students reportedly heard a baby crying in Moore’s dorm room.
“She lived in a quad, four girls living in the bedrooms with a shared common area and a shared bathroom. They heard the baby crying, and they called police later that day when they discovered blood on their bathroom floor of their shared bathroom,” Suzy Lopez, a Hillsborough County State Attorney, explained, per the outlet.
Medical officials reportedly responded to the call and checked on Moore. However, she reportedly told officials she was experiencing her menstrual cycle.
The following day, police received a separate call from campus security. Officials had reportedly found the baby’s body in the trash.
“University of Tampa campus security came and discovered what appeared to be a full-term newborn baby girl, wrapped in a towel and put in a trash can,” Lopez added, per ABC Action News.
According to the Tampa police’s news release, the baby was then identified as Moore’s child. KPTV notes that Moore eventually admitted giving birth to the child. Additionally, authorities used an autopsy to determine that the infant died from “asphyxia and multiple rib fractures.” Furthermore, the case was ruled a homicide.
Lopez has reportedly explained that the infant’s death was “avoidable.” Florida reportedly upholds the Safe Haven Law, which allows “parents to anonymously surrender an unharmed newborn infant seven days old or younger” to public safety officials without penalty.
“For crying out loud, there’s a fire station across the street from the University of Tampa,” Lopez reportedly explained, per Daily Mail. “Tampa General Hospital is a mere two to three minutes away by car.”
Brianna Moore, 19, of #Quitman #Mississippi, has been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child & other counts in the death of her newborn baby at the University of Tampa in Florida
The infant's body was found wrapped in a towel in a trash can on April 28
An autopsy… pic.twitter.com/pH0AEDGPsf
— True Crime Updates (@TrueCrimeUpdat) October 20, 2024
A Mother In California Was Recently Arrested For A Similar Incident
Similarly, the state of California also offers a “Safely Surrendered Baby Program.” Per the Department of Social Services, the program allows “parents or persons with lawful custody to safely surrender… infant[s] within 72 hours of birth, with no questions asked.” Furthermore, the program was highlighted after Kathryn Grace Copeland’s arrest in September.
As The Shade Room previously reported, Copeland was accused of giving birth to an infant. Subsequently, the child was then found abandoned and deceased in a parking lot. The incident also led to Copeland being arrested and charged.
