02-05-2025
Newborn baby found dead in Best Western hotel garbage can in Yuma
The Yuma Police Department was investigating the death of a newborn who was found in a garbage can at a hotel.
Police said a Best Western employee found the baby boy in an outside garbage can around 10:40 a.m. Police believed the body was placed in the trash can between 10 p.m. April 30 and 10 a.m. May 1.
There were no suspects as of May 1. The investigation was ongoing.
Anyone with information can call the Yuma Police Department at 928-373-4700 or 78-Crime at 928-782-7463 to remain anonymous. Police offered a $1,000 reward for information that led to an arrest.
The Best Western was located near the intersection of Interstate 8 and U.S. 95 in Yuma.
Arizona has a Safe Haven Law that identifies places where mothers can safely and anonymously give up their babies without fear of prosecution, Yuma police said. If a baby is unharmed and under 30 days old, it can be dropped off at a Safe Haven location.
These include:
Any ambulance
Any designated adoption agency
Any designated church
Any hospital
On-duty fire stations
Mothers must hand the baby to a person at the above locations or may place the baby in the Safe Haven drawer at designated hospitals, police said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Yuma police investigate death of baby boy found in hotel garbage can
