A 21-year-old Florida mother has been arrested over a year after her newborn son died after she gave birth in her West Boca Raton residence.
According to a probable cause affidavit obtained by NBC 6 South Florida, Bianca R. Desouza was arrested Friday on charges including aggravated manslaughter of a child and neglect of a child causing great bodily harm.
The incident happened on May 2, 2022, after an emergency call to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office regarding an unresponsive infant at Desouza’s home. First responders rushed the newborn to West Boca Medical Center, where he later passed away.
Desouza told investigators that she gave birth to the newborn in her bed, held him until he stopped crying, and then left him on the bed. Without calling anyone, she took a shower. After the shower, she went into her mother’s bed.
NBC 6 South Florida reports that Desouza, 19 at the time, gave birth alone inside the residence. Her mother arrived home and found the newborn unconscious and called 911. Desouza said her mother “woke me up out of it” with her screams.
“I gave birth to him and I kind of just sat there. Really confused, I didn’t know what to do. I just sat there,” the defendant told investigators, according to an arrest affidavit. “I just didn’t do anything and I’m so mad. It was like my body stopped working.”
Court documents indicate that Desouza had been scheduled for an induction on May 3, 2022. Her mother later told police that Desouza and her husband agreed to put the baby up for adoption, but Desouza was concerned about finding suitable parents.
The affidavit also indicated that Desouza “consistently used illicit drugs and medications not prescribed to her” during her pregnancy. The substances reportedly included “Xanax, oxycodone, marijuana, vaping and alcohol.”
On April 28, a medical examiner determined that the infant died from asphyxiation. The manner of death has been classified as a homicide.
“[Desouza] did not attempt to move herself, remove the clothing, reposition the baby during and after the birth process, pick up, comfort, seek medical attention, or otherwise care for the child,” a separate police note read.
“She did not attempt to create an environment where the neonate could breathe without restriction during the birth process and failed to ensure his wellbeing after being born.”
Desouza has since been released from jail after posting $25,000 bail.
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[Feature Photo: Bianca Desouza/Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office]
