Fort Worth Police have charged a 26-year-old woman over the death of a newborn three years ago. The time lapse appears to have been linked to police mishandling the case, according to reports.
Shaquita Galloway was charged with injury to a child by omission, reported People.
Police claim she left her newborn child for dead under a sink more than three years ago. People reported the case had languished for years in the police department. Fort Worth police informed People it was being handled by a detective who was fired recently from the department for mishandling cases.
Criminal charges were filed in September after the case was assigned to a different detective. Police said difficulties tracking down Galloway also resulted in delays.
CPS confirmed for a local news station that they also investigated the case, and found in July 2013 the child was a victim of neglect.
The charges stemmed from an incident in April 2013. Reports stated Galloway locked herself in the bathroom of her home and remained there for five hours. Roommates said they heard the faint cries of a baby but thought it was on a TV program they were watching. When Galloway left the bathroom, the roommates noticed she was bleeding.
She was taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors determined she recently gave birth, police said.
People reported police visited Galloway’s home in Fort Worth and found the cold body of her newborn baby boy under the sink, concealed in towels and dirty laundry. The report cited a police arrest warrant.
Police questioned Galloway that month. The affidavit stated she originally denied giving birth. It later said she delivered a boy. She never harmed him but did not do anything to help him live.
Galloway allegedly told police she concealed her pregnancy because she was scared of getting kicked out of the house.
Galloway was booked into jail on a $5,000 bail, according to People.
Under the Texas Penal Code, the injury by omission offense applies to a child, an elderly person or a disabled person.
The crime is committed when if the defendant “intentionally, knowingly, recklessly,” or by an omission, causes:
1 serious bodily injury;
2 serious mental deficiency, injury or impairment, or
3 bodily injury.
These are serious charges. If you are hit by a charge of this nature you should hire a seasoned Fort Worth criminal defense attorney. Call the Medlin Law Firm at (682) 204-4066.
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