A young mom was charged with first-degree murder on Friday for the death of her newborn baby. Leiyla Cepeda, an 18-year-old originally from Texas, stands accused of stabbing to death her newborn child whom she gave birth to on her own in the home of Cepeda’s relatives in Colorado on the morning of June 8.
According to ABC News, the baby was born while Cepeda was visiting family in the town of Nunn, in Weld County. On Wednesday, police responded to a call about a dead infant girl. The young mom told investigators that her baby was quiet and not moving nor breathing when she was born. However, officers were baffled at the sight of stab wounds all over the infant which Cepeda refused to explain. The coroner’s findings stated the baby was alive when she was born and died from the multiple sharp force injuries believed to have come from a pair of bloody scissors found near the child’s body. Cepeda told police the scissors were used to cut the baby’s umbilical cord.
When authorities arrived at the home, Cepeda told first responders that she was not feeling well. Apparently, she had not informed her family of her pregnancy as she claimed she was not sure if she was with child. In her arrest document, she stated that she did a pregnancy test sometime when she was three to four months along the way but the test showed a negative result. During her questioning, Cepeda said she was in the process of trying to figure out how to tell her mom about her pregnancy.
Currently, Cepeda is in the custody of a local hospital after she was brought in for post-natal care. A spokesperson for the 19th Judicial District Attorney, Michael Rourke said Cepeda had just turned 18 on Friday and will be charged as an adult. Her charges are as follows:
- Violation of section 18- 3-102 (1) (f) unlawfully, feloniously, and knowingly caused the death of an infant, child below 12 years of age with the defendant in a position of trust with respect to the victim.
- Violation of section 18-3-102 (1) (a), unlawfully, feloniously, after deliberation and with the intent to cause the death of a person other than herself, caused the death of her infant.
