SAN ANTONIO – A local expert and neighbors are weighing in on possible scenarios that resulted in a dead fetus being left in a dumpster at a North Side apartment complex.
A man who San Antonio police described as a “dumpster diver” made the discovery Tuesday afternoon at the Canlen West Apartments, located on West Avenue north of Basse Road.
Police said the fetus was inside a diaper bag.
Gilbert Morales, who works at the complex, said the man who found the fetus called him over initially.
“He did have his little hands,” Morales said, describing what he saw. “I didn’t want to look at him too much because I got nervous.”
Morales said seeing a fetus in a dumpster was a first for him.
It’s something William Campa strives to avoid.
“That’s kind of one of those fears that you hope you never come across,” he said.
Campa said he regularly searches through trash bins for “treasure,” items others have thrown away that he can sell for cash.
On Wednesday morning, as he sorted through the contents of a different bin, he was surprised to hear the news about the fetus.
“(It) could have been her being scared and not knowing what to do,” he speculated about the woman who bore the fetus. “Most people do things with the intention of it being the best thing for them in that moment.”
Sasha Sierra, who lives at the apartment complex, also had her beliefs about what may have happened.
“Maybe she had a miscarriage, and she panicked, you know?” Sierra said. “Maybe, you know, she didn’t know what to do.”
The common opinion among people at the complex was that the fetus was left by someone who panicked, an act of desperation.
For some, it brought to mind a recent case involving a fetus found in a restroom toilet at an East Bexar County Whataburger.
Mallori Strait, 34, was arrested in December on a charge of abusing a corpse. However, the Bexar County District Attorney later dropped the charge based on insufficient evidence.
A report released by the DA’s office indicated that Strait had suffered a miscarriage, and there was no indication that she had done anything to abuse the fetus.
“It’s heartbreaking. There’s no way someone in that situation would not feel terrified and alone,” said Jenny Hixon, vice president and chief executive officer of Any Baby Can of Southwest Texas. “For anyone who’s experiencing miscarriage, it’s very scary.”
Hixon said her organization offers support to pregnant women and mothers, including those who have experienced miscarriages.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office has not released any information regarding what caused the death of the fetus found in the dumpster.
Still, Hixon said these types of situations can be avoided through community support, including making women’s health programs available.
“(If) it feels like they can’t ask for help, that’s a tragedy. There’s a lot of systems that failed someone before they get to that place,” she said.
In the event of a miscarriage, Hixon said the first step for a woman should be to seek medical attention.
Beyond that, she said, they can get emotional support through programs like those offered at Any Baby Can.
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