An 18-year-old has been arrested after a tragic incident involving a newborn baby left outside a medical center. The heartbreaking case unfolded last month in Blackfoot, Idaho.
On October 13, staff at the Grove Creek Medical Center made a devastating discovery inside a Safe Haven Baby Box—a space meant to provide a safe place for parents in crisis to leave their newborns. They found an infant girl who had already passed away. According to medical staff, the baby had died long before she was placed in the box, which is designed to ensure babies are left healthy and unharmed.
The founder of the Safe Haven Baby Box program, Monica Kelsey, expressed deep sadness over the incident. “This was an illegal and dangerous abandonment,” she said. The baby was reportedly wrapped in a blanket with the placenta still attached, a clear sign she hadn’t received proper care after birth. Kelsey emphasized that the program is there to save lives and provide a safe option for struggling parents—not for situations like this.
The Safe Haven Baby Box organization shared that since the program began in 2017, 52 babies have been safely surrendered and quickly adopted into loving families. But they also made it clear that they work closely with law enforcement when laws are violated.
Fast forward to November 22, the Blackfoot Police Department arrested 18-year-old Angel Newberry in Twin Falls. She now faces a felony charge for failing to report the death of the baby to the authorities or the coroner. Newberry was taken to the Bingham County Jail, but police haven’t shared how she might be connected to the infant.
This case is a tragic reminder of why safe haven laws exist—to protect both infants and parents in crisis. For those involved with the Safe Haven Baby Box program, the focus remains on saving lives and preventing such heartbreaking situations in the future.
