Mother arrested in 14-year-old cold case of ‘Baby Angel' infant found dead in Mississippi River
A woman has been charged in the cold case of an infant found dead and floating in the Mississippi River 14 years ago after DNA testing revealed she was the mother of the newborn dubbed Baby Angel, according to officials.
Jennifer Nichole Baechle, 43, was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter for the death of the newborn, who was found floating in a bag on Sept. 5, 2011, in a section of the river near Winona, Minnesota, officials there announced Thursday.
The newborn was wrapped in a green T-shirt, encased in two plastic garbage bags, and then placed inside a tote from a Mexican resort also containing a pendant, incense,and several angel figurines, leading to her being known as 'Baby Angel,' a criminal complaint obtained by the Winona Post noted.
3 Jennifer Nichole Baechle was charged with two counts of second-degree manslaughter for the 14-year-old cold case of the death of her infant, found dead in a bag in the Mississippi River.
Winona County Sheriff
'While her birth mother remained hidden, this community wrapped its arms around this little girl,' Winona County Sheriff Ron Ganrude said at a Thursday press conference.
'Ever since, they've waited in patience for answers that she deserved. We never gave up working to find those answers.'
'She deserved better than a watery grave, she deserved more than a life cut short.' Ganrude said.
3 'Baby Angel' was born a day or two before she died, an autopsy revealed.
Minnesota-Wisconsin K9 Search and Rescue
Baby Angel was born just a day or two before she died, a 2011 autopsy revealed.
A 4-inch cord was attached to the baby and did not appear to be cut by a medical provider — and she had suffered several skull fractures, the autopsy said.
3 The baby was found with several angel figurines, dubbing her 'Baby Angel.'
FOX 9 KMSP
Multiple agencies investigated the baby's death, but there were no major developments until 2023, when a nonprofit genetic research company, Firebird Forensics Group, identified Baechle as a possible lead in the case.
Baechle denied police requests for a DNA sample — but authorities were able to collect a used feminine hygiene product from the trash outside her home.
The match was confirmed with additional testing a year later, with DNA found on the bag Baby Angel was found in also matching Baechles, the complaint said.
Baechle's family said they did not have contact with her in 2011, and that she was living in a van — but knew she collected angel figurines and the pendant found with her baby, according to the document.
If convicted, she faces four years in prison, cops said.
She is currently held on an unconditional bail of $200,000 and a conditional bail of $20,000, pending her agreement not to leave the state and wear a GPS monitor after a judge determined her to be a flight risk.
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Anti-ICE protests in downtown LA: The history of National Guard deployments in Los Angeles: What to know Bass warned protesters on Sunday not to "play into the administration's hands" and said her office was working with other officials and organizing resources in response to the immigration raids and demonstrations. "What we're seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration,' the mayor said during an afternoon news conference on Sunday. "When you raid Home Depot and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you cause fear and you cause panic." Bass called the deployment of federalized troops a "dangerous escalation" and said the Trump administration's decision was not about public safety. She added that she was joining Newsom in appealing to the administration to rescind the order to federalize the Guard and allow the Guard to come back under the control of the governor. "I want the people of Los Angeles to know that we stand with all Angelenos," Bass said. "No matter where you were born, the First Amendment right gives you the ability again to protest peacefully, but it does not give you the right to be violent, to create chaos or to vandalize property, and that will not be tolerated. So I call on all Angelenos to continue expressing your right, your anger, your outrage, but to do it peacefully.' State and local leaders encouraged peaceful demonstrations on Sunday night as protests continued in downtown Los Angeles over Trump's immigration enforcement. In a news release on Sunday, U.S. Northern Command said about 500 Marines at Twentynine Palms, about 143 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, were put on 'prepare to deploy' status. Newsom was in Los Angeles meeting with officials from the LAPD and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. The governor said local and state emergency officials were working to maintain public safety as they responded to protests that were "provoked by chaos from Washington." "We're here to keep the peace — not play into Trump's political games," Newsom said on X. "Don't take the bait. Never use violence or harm law enforcement." In a post on X, Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla criticized Trump and said the president was creating "nothing more than fear and chaos in our communities." "This is the first time since 1965 National Guard troops are federalized and deployed without the request and support of the Governor or local authorities," Padilla said on social media. "It's unnecessary, counterproductive, and a misuse of our National Guard." Protests erupted on Friday after ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrests of at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations, according to Reuters. One organized labor leader, David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union of California (SEIU California), was injured and detained by ICE at one site, according to an SEIU statement. The union said Huerta was arrested "while exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity." He was later released from the hospital after being treated for injuries he sustained during his arrest, but remains in custody, the union added. No details about the nature or severity of Huerta's injury were immediately available. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said in a post on X on Friday that Huerta "was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will face arraignment in federal court on Monday." The next day, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for Huerta's immediate release and warned of a 'disturbing pattern of arresting and detaining American citizens for exercising their right to free speech.' Several protests were observed across Los Angeles County, with the largest in downtown Los Angeles. By 5 p.m. local time, law enforcement authorities cleared the 101 Freeway, and videos showed protestors moving onto an overpass as they chanted and waved Mexican flags. LAPD later declared an unlawful assembly in the Civic Center area and the historic Olvera Street in downtown Los Angeles. Police said demonstrators had halted and ignited several vehicles in the area. Footage from local television stations showed several driverless robotaxis from Waymo stopped on the road. At least two vehicles were set on fire as smoke was seen billowing into the sky. By around 6:15 p.m., LAPD said "multiple autonomous vehicles" were on fire in the area of Los Angeles Street, North of Arcadia and South of Alameda streets. Police warned people to avoid the area due to burning lithium-ion batteries releasing toxic gases, posing risks to responders and those nearby. Police said a 'number of people have been arrested' at the Civic Center area. At around 6:20 p.m., LAPD said "less lethal munitions" were authorized in the area of Temple and Main streets as videos showed multiple skirmish lines on roads near City Hall. Police said demonstrators were using chairs, garbage bins, and other items to block the street. The department urged protesters to leave the area. Trump's National Guard deployment of 2,000 troops in Los Angeles is expected to last 60 days, according to a directive from California's adjutant general. Trump's memo on June 7 invoked a section of federal code authorizing the president to call the guard into service to "repel an invasion of the United States by a foreign nation" or to "suppress a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States" or to "execute the laws of the United States when the President is unable to do so with regular forces." David Sapp, Newsom's legal affairs secretary, said the Guard's directive was inconsistent with Trump's memo, which anticipated "coordinat(ion) with the Governors of the States." "There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty," Sapp wrote to Hegseth. Protests in downtown Los Angeles: California Gov. Newsom describes Trump's deployment of National Guard as 'the acts of a dictator' A Waymo spokesperson told NBC News that the company was suspending its service in downtown Los Angeles after multiple self-driving vehicles were reportedly set on fire during protests. "We will not be serving any rides in the protest area until it is deemed safe," the spokesperson said, according to NBC News. LAPD said earlier Sunday that "multiple autonomous vehicles" were on fire in the area of Los Angeles Street, North of Arcadia and South of Alameda streets. Authorities warned people to avoid the area due to burning lithium-ion batteries releasing toxic gases nearby. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lives in Los Angeles, called the deployment of the National Guard 'a dangerous explanation meant to provoke chaos.' Harris, the Democratic nominee who lost to Trump in 2024, said in a social media post that Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Southern California and across the country are part of a "cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division." "This Administration's actions are not about public safety – they're about stoking fear," Harris added. Newsom on Sunday accused Trump's order as "the acts of a dictator" for deploying National Guard troops to quell violent protests in Los Angeles. Newsom posted a video of Trump saying he would charge state and local officials federally if they interfere with immigration enforcement, which sparked the protests in Los Angeles. Newsom accused Trump of "inciting and provoking violence" as well as "creating mass chaos" and "militarizing cities." "These are the acts of a dictator, not a President," Newsom added. Trump told reporters Sunday on his way to Camp David for a meeting with military leaders that he doesn't think the protests in Los Angeles qualify as an insurrection yet, but that he would be keeping a close eye on the situation. 'No,' he said when asked if an insurrection was happening. 'But you've got violent people, and we're not going to let them get away with it.' Trump said he was sending the National Guard to restore order. 'We're going to have troops everywhere,' Trump said. 'We're not going to let this happen to our country.' He said the bar for sending in Marines would be 'what I think it is.' 'If we see danger to our country and to our citizens, we will be very, very strong in terms of law and order. It's about law and order,' Trump said. He said he would be 'watching it very closely' to see whether protests are spreading and if a larger federal response is needed. 'We're going to be watching it very closely,' Trump said. 'You know they spit, that's their new thing. They spit, and worse, you know what they throw at them, right? And when that happens, I have a little statement – they spit, we hit. And I told them, nobody's going to spit on our police officers. No body's going to spit on our military.' Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell told USA TODAY on Sunday that his department will be "well prepared" should any civil unrest occur during the third day of protests across the city. "We certainly have a heavier deployment than usual," said McDonnell, declining to give a specific number. The chief said officers will be deployed outside a federal court building, the Metropolitan Detention Center, City Hall, and some parks where protests and demonstrations against the deportation raids are scheduled to take place. McDonnell said the LAPD is still figuring out what role the National Guard will play during any protests as well. "It's still to be determined," McDonnell said. "Some of them just got on the ground, and we're trying to figure out how we can make this all work for everybody. For the city, the county. and beyond. Our whole focus is on public safety." — Terry Collins Los Angeles police chief: 'Ready to meet whatever challenges we may face' Trump said on social media that Los Angeles "has been invaded and occupied" by undocumented immigrants and he directed the departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and Justice to take action to liberate the city. The language of his post echoes his executive order invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants accused of being members of criminal gangs he declared terrorist organizations, such as Venezuela's Tren de Aragua. "A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals," Trump said. "Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations.' Trump directed Hegseth, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Attorney General Pam Bondi 'to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots.' 'Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free,' Trump said. A group of 22 Democratic governors called Trump's deployment of the National Guard 'an alarming abuse of power' and said doing so without working with Newsom was 'dangerous.' 'President Trump's move to deploy California's National Guard is an alarming abuse of power,' the governors said in a joint statement. 'Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guard and the federal government activating them in their own borders without consulting or working with a state's governor is ineffective and dangerous.' The governors also criticized the threat to send in Marines. 'Further, threatening to send the U.S. Marines into American neighborhoods undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement,' the governors said. Democratic Govs. Laura Kelly of Kansas, Andy Beshear of Kentucky, Tony Evers of Wisconsin, Bob Ferguson of Washington, Josh Green of Hawaii, Maura Healey of Massachusetts, Katie Hobbs of Arizona, Kathy Hochul of New York, Tina Kotek of Oregon, Ned Lamont of Connecticut, Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Dan McKee of Rhode Island, Matt Meyer of Delaware, Janet Mills of Maine, Wes Moore of Maryland, Phil Murphy of New Jersey, Jared Polis of Colorado, J.B. Pritzker of Illinois, Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania, Josh Stein of North Carolina, Tim Walz of Minnesota and Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on social media that if protesters choose violence, they will be investigated and arrested. "We will be investigating and pursuing all available leads for assault on a federal officer, in addition to the many arrests already made," Bongino said June 8. "And, although we'll pursue every case, we don't need to catch every single perp, we just need to catch you." Investigations will continue even after calm is restored, he warned. "We will not forget," Bongino said. "Even after you try to." Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been a staunch supporter of Trump's border policies, including his decision to deploy the National Guard to quell disturbances in California. But as governor of South Dakota in February 2024, Noem sharply criticized then-President Joe Biden for considering federalizing the National Guard over Texas' contentious razor‑wire border operations. The Biden White House was reportedly considering the move after the Supreme Court ruled the federal government could cut through razor wire that Texas had placed along the U.S.-Mexico border − wire that similarly obstructs CBP agents' ability to access the border and carry out their duties. That prompted Democrats and others to call on Biden to federalize the Texas National Guard and order it to stand down. In a post on X, Noem said such a move would be a 'direct attack on states' rights." Ultimately, Biden never activated the Guard. Amnesty International Executive Director Paul O'Brien called the Guard deployment "deeply alarming." He accused Trump of using military force to punish those who speak out for human rights and said the deployment will exacerbate the situation rather than remedy it. 'This is not about protecting communities, this is about crushing dissent and instilling fear," O'Brien said in a statement. "Armed troops do not belong in our neighborhoods. This militarization of immigration enforcement and in response to people exercising their right to freedom of expression must have no place in a country that claims to value justice and human rights." Supervisor Kathryn Barger, the conservative chairperson of the powerful Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, called for calm but voiced her support for the right of protesters to express themselves. 'I want to remind @CountyofLA residents that the right to protest is a fundamental constitutional freedom and I strongly support the right of individuals to express themselves peacefully,' Barger, who represents the county's northern swaths, said in a posting on X late Saturday night. 'However, I urge all those who choose to protest to do so without resorting to violence or unlawful behavior.' Barger said that as chair of the political body overseeing all of Los Angeles County, including the parts where the National Guard is being deployed, she would closely monitor any developments of civil unrest. That would include 'attacks against local, state, or federal law enforcement officers or any attempt to cause them harm," she wrote. Sen. Bernie Sanders said he believes President Donald Trump is 'moving this country rapidly into authoritarianism" after Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to help quell immigration protests in Los Angeles. 'This guy wants all of the power. He does not believe in the Constitution. He does not believe in the rule of law,' Sanders, a Vermont independent, told CNN's Dana Bash on 'State of the Union.' "My understanding is that the governor of California, the mayor of the city of Los Angeles did not request the National Guard, but he (Trump) thinks he has a right to do anything he wants." The protests were prompted by the Trump administration's push to arrest and deport undocumented immigrants. Demonstrators allege the administration's immigration enforcement violates civil and human rights. The Department of Homeland Security announced that the immigrants without legal authorization to be in the country include murders and rapists. Those arrested during the Los Angeles operation that sparked violent protests include a Vietnamese man convicted of second-degree murder, an Ecuadoran man convicted of possession of five kilograms of cocaine, and a Filipino man convicted of sexual offenses. "These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets," Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary of the department, said in a statement. "Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer." The National Guard has been deployed to Los Angeles multiple times in response to civil disorder and natural disasters. In previous years, the National Guard was sent at the request of state and local officials. In June 2020, USA TODAY reported that Trump had considered invoking the Insurrection Act over protests in response to the murder of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a former Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck on a street corner in May 2020. Protesters clashed with police across the country, including in Los Angeles, which prompted then-Mayor Eric Garcetti to ask Newsom for members of the Guard to be sent to the city. The last time the Insurrection Act was invoked was in 1992 by former President George H.W. Bush, when the acquittal of the Los Angeles Police Department officers who beat Rodney King sparked the Los Angeles riots. Thousands of members of the Guard, the U.S. Army, and the Marine Corps were sent in response to the riots, which left more than 60 people dead and 2,300 injured, according to the Bill of Rights Institute. Read more here. Sen. Chris Murphy accused Trump on Sunday of unnecessarily deploying the National Guard in California to escalate the conflict between protesters and ICE agents so he can eventually invoke the Insurrection Act and impose martial law in the United States. Murphy, a frequent and outspoken critic of Trump, said in a video posted on X that the crisis in California 'is of Donald Trump's making.' 'Any time a protest turns violent, that's unacceptable,' said Murphy, D-Conn. 'But California has made it clear that between local and state authorities, they have the means to be able to keep the peace. They don't need Donald Trump. They don't need the National Guard.' Murphy said Trump decided to send in the Guard over the objections of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, 'not to solve a problem, but to create a problem, because Donald Trump has always wanted to create an excuse to impose martial law, to invoke the Insurrection Act.' Murphy accused Trump of undergoing a comprehensive campaign since he was sworn in to try to undermine the rule of law in the United States to consolidate his own power and authority. Originally enacted in 1792, the Insurrection Act grants the president the authority to deploy the U.S. military domestically and use it against Americans under certain conditions, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at the NYU School of Law. Trump called Newsom 'incompetent,' based on cost overruns for a high-speed rail program, and said either state and local authorities would quell the violence or he would. "You have an incompetent governor," Trump said. 'I did call him the other night, I said, 'Look take care of this, otherwise I'm sending in the troops.'" Trump also said state and local officials could face federal charges if they stand in the way of deportations. 'If officials stand in the way of law and order, yeah, they will face federal charges,' Trump said. "These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED," Trump said in a social media post Sunday. Trump and administration officials have attacked Newsom, Bass and other Democrats for failing to quell the disturbances. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump signed a memo a day earlier deploying the Guardsmen 'to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.' 'The Trump administration has a zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs,' she said in a statement. Hegseth said the Pentagon was prepared to mobilize active-duty troops "if violence continues" and that Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were "on high alert." Free speech or not? Trump says he wants to protect free speech. Advocates say he's undermining it. On Saturday, a large protest erupted in the city of Paramount in Los Angeles County, about 15 miles south of downtown Los Angeles. It came as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted enforcement operations in the area. More demonstrations followed, and some protesters assaulted ICE officers, slashed tires, and defaced buildings, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which claimed it took LAPD officers two hours to respond. Police sometimes countered the unrest by firing tear gas, pepper spray and flash-bang concussion rounds toward gathering crowds. "The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters is despicable and Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom must call for it to end," Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said. "The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens." Contributing: Reuters (This story was updated to add new information.) This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: LA protests: Downtown Los Angeles declared an unlawful assembly area
