Crime & Safety
Update: Whitman Houses Infant Likely Born 12 To 15 Hours Before Being Discovered
Neighbors said they did not know the 18-year-old mother of abandoned infant was pregnant.
Update. May 24th, 4:36 p.m.: New details emerged in the case against Laquasia Wright, who was arrested and charged with attempted murder and endangering the welfare of a child on Sunday.
According to a complaint filed in Brooklyn Criminal Court on Tuesday, prosecutors accused Wright of leaving her baby in a trash compactor at her building located at 102 Cumberland Walk at Whitman Houses in Fort Greene.
Wright's baby boy was likely born 12 to 15 hours before he arrived at Brooklyn Hospital, according to the complaint. The infant was discovered by the building's superintendent at approximately 9:20 a.m. Sunday.
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Judge Linda Poust Lopez ordered Wright held on $100,000 bail.
Wright's next court appearance is scheduled for Friday.
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Residents of Walt Whitman Houses greeted news of the arrest Sunday of Laquasia Wright, accused of abandoning her baby boy in a trash compactor, with a mix of sadness and anger.
"How could anyone do such a thing? I just don't understand it," said Hector Avila, who has lived at Whitman Houses for 18 years.
Wright, 18, has been charged with attempted murder and endangering the welfare of a child after her baby was found alive Sunday morning inside a garbage compactor at 102 Cumberland Walk.
In the building where Wright lived most of her life, news of the arrest traveled fast.
"No one knew it was her," said a neighbor, who did not want to be identified. "She stood right in front of my face... I didn't know she was pregnant."
Shortly after her arrest, Wright was taken to Brooklyn Hospital for treatment, according to the Brooklyn DA.
The baby is in stable condition at Brooklyn Hospital.
A spokeswoman for the city Administration for Children's Services said the agency was investigating with police and working to ensure the safety of the infant.
"I'm not surprised that this happened," Avila said. "I'm sad about the situation because these kids... they are not monitored really well. No one is looking out for them."
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