Mother charged after baby found dead in New Bedford park

A 22-year-old woman appeared in court Monday in connection to an infant found dead at a New Bedford park in December, the District Attorney said.

Daniela Michell Escobar-Mejia is facing one charge of improper disposal of a body, a misdemeanor, in New Bedford District Court. According to DNA testing, Escobar-Mejia is the baby’s mother, officials said.

Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said the woman was released on her personal recognizance and is ordered to cooperate with the Department of Children and Families.

An infant boy’s decomposing body was discovered in Fort Taber Park on Dec. 9, 2023, wrapped in a blanket, the DA said. The woman who found the baby was with her preteen niece, and when she picked up the blanket, she “detected a foul smell” and “saw maggots,” according to court records. 

The medical examiner was unable to determine the cause or manner of the baby’s death or if the baby was alive when he was left in the park, the DA said. Allegedly, the infant was left in the park on Nov. 6, more than a month before his body was discovered.

Escobar-Mejia was charged after a review of surveillance footage from around the park and “other investigatory methods,” according to the DA.

“I want to thank investigators for their efforts in this very sad and tragic case,” Quinn said in a statement Monday.

Escobar-Mejia’s lawyer did not respond to requests for comment.