New Bedford Mother of Deceased Infant Found at Fort Taber Arraigned
NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — A New Bedford mother has been arraigned on a charge of improper disposal of a body connected with the discovery of her infant son’s body at Fort Taber last year.
According to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, Daniela Michell Escobar-Mejia, 22, was released on personal recognizance and ordered to abide by all Department of Children and Families orders during the case.
The D.A.’s Office said Escobar-Mejia was summoned to court after a lengthy investigation by Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the D.A.’s Office and prosecutors.
The charges date back to December 9, 2023, when New Bedford Police responded to Fort Taber at about 12:40 p.m. after receiving a 911 call about the discovery of a deceased infant.
READ MORE: Infant Body Discovered at New Bedford's Fort Taber
A woman and her preteen niece had been walking along a path near the water when they noticed a blanket near a thicket of bushes. The woman also detected an odor of decay. She approached the blanket and found a white plastic bag wrapped inside of it, with the infant’s decomposing body inside the plastic bag.
The woman yelled out about what she found to two nearby men walking their dog. One of the men then called 911.
READ MORE: More Details on Deceased Infant Found at New Bedford's Fort Taber
The D.A.’s Office said DNA analysis, review of surveillance footage in and around the park and other investigatory methods pointed them to Escobar-Mejia. However, because the infant was so badly decomposed, the medical examiner was unable to determine if the baby had been alive prior to allegedly being dumped in the park.
No cause or manner of death could be determined.
The D.A.’s Office said investigators determined the infant was allegedly left in the park on November 6, more than a month before it was discovered.
“I want to thank investigators for their efforts in this very sad and tragic case,” District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III said.
Escobar-Mejia is due back in court for a pretrial conference on September 12.
Missing Children of Massachusetts and Rhode Island
Gallery Credit: Ariel Dorsey