District Attorney Hoovler Announce Charges 

in Attempted Murder of Newborn

 Mother Charged with Attempted Murder for Abandoning Newborn in Toilet of Motel-Room

Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler announced that on Friday, December 7, 2018, Teresa Smith, 23, was arraigned before Orange County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown on an Indictment charging her with: Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Abandonment of a Child, Reckless Endangerment in the First Degree, Assault in the Second Degree and Endangering the Welfare of a Child.  An Orange County grand jury had charged Smith in an indictment which alleges that on November 1, 2018, inside the Budget Inn Motel, located at 5202 Route 9W in the Town of Newburgh, Smith attempted to cause the death of her newborn baby by leaving the baby in the toilet bowl of the room she had occupied and abandoning the baby.  Motel workers who discovered the newborn infant immediately contacted the police.  The baby was rushed to the hospital and survived.  

At the arraignment, prosecutors argued that moments after having given birth to that child in a toilet bowl in her motel room, Smith wholly abandoned the child, leaving him in a toilet bowl, and left the room. Prosecutors argued that Smith had no intent to return or care for the child as she left the motel, and her intent was for the baby to die.

Bail was set by Orange County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown in the amount of $100,000 cash or $300,000 bond.  Smith is next scheduled to appear in court on January 15, 2019.

District Attorney Hoovler thanked the Town of Newburgh Police Department for their rescue of the infant, their investigation and the arrest of Smith.

“Infants are the most innocent of victims,” said District Attorney David Hoovler.  “It is hard to comprehend what could drive any mother to intend to kill her own baby by abandoning the baby in these types of circumstances.  I am grateful to the Town of Newburgh Police Department for their actions is saving the child’s life.  My Office will continue to work with all our law enforcement partners in protecting children and will continue to seek severe punishment for all who commit violent crimes against defenseless infants and children.”

The case is being prosecuted by Senior Assistant District Attorney Christopher Kelly.

This criminal charge is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of the criminal law, and it is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the State of New York’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.