An Ohio mother put her newborn inside of a garbage bag and told her teenage daughter to dispose of the baby, according to court documents obtained by Newsweek.
Basma Abdul Karim Alkelezli, 36, and Hanan Al Jabouli, 19, both of Hilliard, Ohio, are each facing a felony charge of abuse of a corpse, Franklin County Municipal Court records show. The investigation is still ongoing and additional charges could be filed, the Hilliard Division of Police said in a statement.
Alkelezli allegedly placed her newborn son in a plastic garbage bag before telling her daughter, Al Jabouli, to get rid of the baby, investigators wrote in the case report. The teenager then placed the trash bag inside a five-gallon bucket and put the bucket in the trunk of a vehicle in the backyard of their home, according to the report.
The baby was pronounced dead at the hospital, Andrea Litchfield, Hilliard community relations administrator, told Newsweek in an email on Tuesday, adding that she could not provide any additional details until the newborn's autopsy is complete.
The mother, Alkelezli, was released from the hospital Friday and transported to Franklin County Jail later that day, Litchfield told Newsweek, adding that the mother was released on bond after her arraignment on Saturday.
"Please note this continues to be a very active investigation, so additional information is limited," Litchfield said.
Just before 8 a.m. on September 20, Norwich Township Fire Department paramedics responded to a medical emergency at a residence on Paxton Drive South, with Alkelezli being transported to a nearby hospital. Paramedics contacted police after noticing signs that she had recently giving birth, including a freshly cut umbilical cord, court documents show.
Upon arrival at Alkelezli's residence in Hilliard, a city roughly 15 minutes from Columbus, officers searched the area and ultimately found the baby in a vehicle parked in the backyard, police said.
The case report noted that the baby felt warm, and officers began CPR immediately until paramedics arrived. The newborn was rushed to Nationwide Children's Hospital but was pronounced dead, police said, adding that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the exact cause of death.
When questioned, Al Jabouli told investigators that her mother had given birth Wednesday morning and said the baby boy was born deceased, according to court documents obtained by Newsweek on Monday.
Al Jabouli told police that her mother said they needed to get everything cleaned up before her husband found out, court documents show. She admitted to helping her mother by putting the newborn in the bucket and into the vehicle, investigators allege in the documents. Al Jabouli is expected in court next month.
As a condition of her bond, she was required to surrender her passport, online court records show. Alkelezli is due back in court on October 2.
Hilliard Chief of Police Michael Woods said in a statement that his department is focused on figuring out what happened to the newborn. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 614-876-7321.
"This is a heartbreaking situation and one of the worst calls to receive," Woods said.
Update 09/26/2023, 11:35 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information and comment from Litchfield.
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