A Bronx mother who allegedly stuffed her newborn baby girl into a laundry bag filled with clothes in September — before handing the bag containing her dying baby to her mother later that same day — is facing multiple charges including manslaughter, according to authorities.
Police on Jan. 30 arrested Lasasha Gouldbourne, 31, who was then charged with manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for the death of her baby girl. She has also been charged with assault and acting in a manner injurious to a child in connection with the horrific incident, according to authorities.
Her arrest stems from the Sept. 1 death of her newborn baby. Gouldbourne, according to reports, allegedly gave birth to the child in the bathroom of her friend’s apartment on Bronx Park East in Allerton, before placing the baby in a bag filled with clothes and taking it to her mother’s place a few blocks away. She allegedly handed the bag with the dying baby over to her mother.
Gouldbourne’s mother called police after discovering the newborn stuffed inside and, upon their arrival at her apartment, officers they found the newborn unconscious and unresponsive inside the location.
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) responded to the scene and transported the infant to Montefiore Medical Center, where the baby was later pronounced deceased, according to the NYPD.
Gouldbourne was also removed by EMS and taken to a local hospital for a medical evaluation, when she began complaining that she was experiencing pains and subsequently gave birth to another child– a fraternal twin baby boy.
The NYPD did not provide any information regarding the birth of the second child. The identification of the deceased baby has not been released.
According to an NYPD report as of Jan. 30, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was still determining the cause of death, although it has been reported that the newborn died due to asphyxiation due to smothering.
Police did not confirm a court date regarding a trial for Gouldbourne. The investigation remains ongoing at this time, according to the NYPD.
Reach Steven Goodstein at sgoodstein@schnepsmedia.com or (718) 260–8326. For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
