BAYTOWN, Texas — A Baytown woman is wanted after she failed to appear in court in early March.
Nikki Ann Reardon is charged with tampering and fabricating with evidence in connection with the death of her 2-month-old baby girl Zaydea Danyelea Rainer. In January, the Medical Examiner’s Office said the cause of the infant’s death was “undetermined.”
According to the court documents, Reardon is accused of endangering a child and concealing her daughter’s body in September. Baytown Police said they received a Crime Stopper’s tip that there was a dead baby in a room at the Scottish Inn and Suites, located at 6802 Garth Road.
On Sept. 29, Baytown police went to the hotel room after receiving the tip and said they found the door to the room open. They found Reardon inside in just a sports bra and shorts.
Police said they saw children's clothing and toys within the room and asked her about the child multiple times. She ignored their questions and began walking to the other side of the room.
According to court documents, Reardon then grabbed a rifle and began crying that “it was an accident," and referring to her baby. Police said she yelled that the child had a seizure and that when she woke up the baby was cold.
Police said Reardon began acting frantically and was refusing to drop the weapon. She then walked towards the bathroom within the motel room and hid behind a wall.
Police then got a search warrant and Baytown SWAT was called to the scene after police said negotiations with Reardon were unsuccessful.
She was eventually taken into custody and transported to Houston Methodist Baytown for medical treatment.
When police conducted a search of the room, they found a large pink duffel bag hidden inside of a built-in cabinet case. Detectives said they opened the pink case and saw a large plastic bag inside of it that was tied in a knot.
Detectives untied the knot and found the child’s body covered in ice inside of the plastic bag, according to court documents.
Police also found what they believed to be crystal methamphetamine and marijuana during the search of the hotel room.
According to court documents, police discovered that Glenn Rainer Jr. was the father of the child and identified Reardon as the mother. He told police that Reardon and her daughter has been moving in and out of motel rooms within the Baytown area since the infant was born.
Rainer also told police that he would talk with them via FaceTime almost daily and Reardon would point the camera towards the child so he could see her. However, on Sept. 27, when they talked, he said Reardon refused to show the child.
Reardon told police that on Sept. 27 she was packing some items from the room and the baby was on the bed. Police said, when they interviewed Reardon, she admitted she had a history of illegal drug usage and a history of having seizures.
Reardon told police that when she woke up from a seizure she found the child dead and lying face down on the bed next to her. She explained she did not call for medical assistance because it was "too late, she (the baby) wasn't breathing, what were they going to do."
According to court documents, Reardon said she held the child for 48 hours and then the victim began to “smell” and “bubbles” began to come from her nostrils. That is when she began putting ice on the body.
Later, a person Reardon knew only as “J” arrived at the room and she told them about the baby passing away. “J” bought a shovel to help bury the child. However, they got into an argument and “J” left the room.
Reardon also admitted to police that she had meth in the room and that she was selling it and cocaine as a means of income.