HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — An investigation is underway after waste collection workers discovered a dead newborn boy in trash picked up in northwest Harris County, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. Investigators believe the child was between one and 30 days old.
Deputies were called out to a residential neighborhood off North Eldridge Parkway near Spencer Road shortly before 9:30 a.m.
According to the sheriff's office, the crew discovered the baby boy's body when they stopped to compact the trash they had collected from several streets. Investigators were canvassing the area to talk to potential witnesses, collect surveillance video, and try to develop a timeline.
A neighbor's surveillance camera captured the moment investigators said the crew made the discovery.
HCSO said the child appeared to be full term and was not a miscarriage. It's unclear how long the child had been dead before it was discovered.
The Harris County Medical Examiner's Office will determine the newborn's cause of death. Once the ME's Office conducted its investigation, HCSO investigators said they moved the truck to a secure location to comb through the trash in hopes of finding something that would help them figure out what happened.
Neighbors were in shock when they heard what happened.
- "Why? Why? You know, was this an accident or was it done purposefully?" Elizabeth Bryan said.
- "We just started crying immediately," Allen Hamilton said. "We are stunned right now. It just doesn't feel real."
HCSO highlighted Texas' Moses Law, which lets parents drop off newborns they are unable to care for at hospitals or fire stations no questions asked.
If you have any information about this incident, you're asked to contact HCSO's Homicide Division at 713-274-9100 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-8477.
Watch the updates HCSO gave at the scene: