A 17-year-old Georgia mother, Leticia A. Rodriguez, faces multiple charges, including felony murder, after allegedly killing her newborn son in a gruesome act before attempting to bury the infant in her backyard, according to police in Marietta.
Authorities announced Rodriguez’s charges, which include aggravated assault with a weapon, concealing a death, abuse of a dead body, and abandonment of a dead body. The horrifying details of the case were revealed in a probable cause affidavit, where Rodriguez allegedly admitted to using a “sharp knife” to cut the umbilical cord and fatally slashing the baby’s throat.
Police also reported her shocking confession that she “cut out the deceased infant’s heart” with a pocketknife, as detailed by the Georgia Gazette. On November 24, police responded to a home on Gramling Street after receiving a 911 call from Rodriguez’s uncle, who reportedly discovered her digging a hole in the backyard.
According to authorities, she intended to bury the infant but had not done so when officers arrived. “What I can tell you is that when officers arrived on the scene, they did find a body that was obviously recognizable as a newborn infant, that that infant was deceased, that that infant was clearly injured,” Marietta Police Public Information Officer Chuck McPhilamy said.
He added that the boy “appeared to be a fully formed or full-sized child.” Investigators revealed that Rodriguez had given birth alone in her bedroom earlier that day. After the birth, she allegedly wrapped the baby in blankets, placed him in a grocery bag, and hid the body for approximately six hours before attempting to bury him.
The Marietta Police Department described the ongoing investigation as a multi-agency effort, stating in a news release: “The ongoing multi-agency investigation has gathered evidence leading to new charges. Because this is an ongoing, active investigation and there is no danger to the community as relates to this case, we anticipate no further updates. The investigation has been turned over to the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.”
Rodriguez is being held at the Cobb County Jail without bond. Authorities have confirmed that an autopsy will determine the infant’s exact cause of death. Additional charges may follow depending on the findings.
The community has been left shocked and grieving over the tragic case, while legal proceedings are expected to shed more light on the circumstances surrounding this devastating incident.