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SARATOGA SPRINGS — A 17-year-old girl gave birth in her home during the spring without telling anyone and then put the newborn's body in a drawer, according to court documents.
Saratoga Springs police confirmed Wednesday that the investigation into who impregnated the girl was still ongoing.
The teen gave birth on March 30, according to a criminal charge filed in 4th District Juvenile Court and a newly unsealed search warrant affidavit.
"She never reported this to authorities. Instead, the minor wrapped the child in clothing and placed the child in a drawer in a closet in her bedroom," charging documents state.
Saratoga Springs police were called to the girl's house on April 18. The girl's father "had located a deceased infant wrapped up in a shirt and robe, and then put into a closet drawer. Infant was deceased and decayed," according to the warrant.
The girl told police that she was raped in August of 2017 while attending a party in West Valley City and became pregnant and later gave birth in the family's bathtub. The baby "was under the water for several minutes" and the girl "later found the baby to be deceased," the affidavit states.
Police say she hid the pregnancy by wearing baggy and oversized clothing.
"During the investigation, officers and detectives were not able to locate anyone who was aware of (the girl) being pregnant," the warrant states. But as police continued to investigate, detectives also determined that the girl's "stories did not add up, and she was not telling the truth."
Detectives indicated they have been unable to locate who the father is.
When the teen was asked whether a particular person was the father, the girl "would not answer those questions very directly, and would move on with other conversation," police noted in the affidavit.
The search warrant was written in an effort to collect DNA samples to try and determine the baby's father.
The girl was charged in juvenile court in June with abuse or desecration of a dead body, a third-degree felony. She has since been placed on probation and ordered to undergo therapy by a judge.
On Wednesday, Saratoga Springs police said detectives were "looking at all possible angles" in determining who fathered the child.
Utah Newborn Safe Haven can help women and young girls with their pregnancies, including those who want to give up their babies. Their 24-hour hotline is 1-866-458-0058. Utah hospitals can also take newborn babies. More information can be found at utahsafehaven.org.
