Shelby, OH – A dead baby was found in the trunk of a car by an auto mechanic in Richland County. Now police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the dead baby and trying to determine the severity of the crime.
According to Shelby authorities, a 17-year-old female dropped the car off at Broadway Auto & Exhaust repair shop on Tuesday afternoon. The teenager was not identified by name in reports. But authorities did say the 17-year-old girl was not the owner of the vehicle.
When the mechanic went to pull the car into the shop to work on it, he noticed a strange odor. The man inspected the vehicle to determine the cause. When the mechanic opened the trunk to search he discovered a copy paper box containing desiccated remains, reports WKYT.
Mechanic and shop owner, Ron Hamilton, Initially thought it was a dead animal. It was later found to be a dead baby. Upon taking a second look, pondering whether or not to dispose of the box, Hamilton noticed distinct fingers and toes, which led him to believe it was an infant. He then contacted the police.
“There were some clothes back there, some shoes and stuff. And when I pulled the box out, part of the box actually stayed in the vehicle. Kind of what made me think something was in it. I was kind of scared to check it out, but you know, they came here for a reason. I think that’s what it was so the child could be put to rest.”
Investigators say the remains were so decomposed that it was difficult to discern if the infant corpse was that of a baby boy or girl , according to 10TV. They were also incapable of immediately determining the age of the infant.
The Summit County Coroner is handling the autopsy. The results of the postmortem will help determine if anyone will face criminal charges.
Shelby Police Captain Lance Combs said, “We haven’t made a determination, at this point in time, whether the baby was stillborn, miscarriage or if the baby was born viable and alive.”
Authorities revealed that the 17-year-old girl did eventually admit to having the child and putting the baby in the box . The child was born at the beginning of the year in the girl’s home. However, it is still unclear how long the dead baby was in the box or the car.
The girl’s parents were unaware she was ever pregnant.
For now no one has been taken into custody or charged.
[Image via Shutterstock ]