Police investigating after newborn dies in Northern Kentucky

FALMOUTH, Ky. (WXIX) - An investigation is underway in Falmouth after a newborn was found inside a vacant home, according to the Falmouth Police Department.

Around 7:30 p.m. on March 1, police say they were called to the home on Montjoy Street, between 4th Street and Maple Avenue, for a report of an abandoned infant.

Officers arrived at the vacant home, went inside, and found the baby who was not breathing, police explained Tuesday.

The infant was taken to Harrison Memorial Hospital and was pronounced dead upon arrival, according to Falmouth police.

Falmouth Police Chief Marty Hart says officers found the newborn after the mother of the baby boy had gone to a nearby hospital and reported a miscarriage. Nurses grew suspicious and called the police.

Hart says police are awaiting the preliminary autopsy report to determine if the infant was stillborn or was born alive.

Police have not released any further information.

Neighbors on Montjoy Street, meanwhile, are struggling with their emotions in the aftermath of Tuesday’s news.

“I about cried then and I’m about to cry now,” Rachel Alford said. “Makes me mad, because there’re people out there dying to have a baby, and then a baby dies because somebody does something stupid like that. I mean I don’t get it.”

Charlotte Hamilton says she hasn’t seen anyone in the house the last few weeks “other than the people that are working on it, because they’re doing repairs to the house.”

Travis Reis is the second assistant chief with the Falmouth Volunteer Fire Department and a father of five. He says he got the call and immediately realized it was right up the road from him.

“The things that get me through calls like that, or calls that involve younger children or anything like that is they’re in a whole lot better place than us,” he said. “I mean, look at the crazy world we’re living in.”

One woman who preferred to remain anonymous said that even with a support system, life for an expecting mother can be stressful and lonely.

“Even then I was still afraid,” she said. “I was alone, because you don’t want to share yourself. Everyone thinks, ‘Oh that’s too much information,’ or, ‘I don’t want to be involved,’ but a lot of times it’s easy to withdraw into yourself and be like, ‘Oh, don’t tell anybody.’”

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