Mother charged after newborn found alive in plastic bag near Union County home

UNION COUNTY, N.C. (WBTV) - The mother of a newborn baby found inside a plastic bag near a Union County home Wednesday is charged with attempted murder and felony child abuse.

Casey Marie Thomas, 24, is accused of giving birth to a baby boy and abandoning the newborn.

The infant was found around 2 p.m. Wednesday near a home on East Highway 74, in the Marshville area. Investigators say the sheriff’s office got information from Atrium Union that the child may be near the home.

A concerned family member later brought Thomas to the hospital after noticing a large amount of blood loss. Deputies say medical staff noticed evidence that Thomas recently gave birth, but Thomas reportedly denied she was pregnant.

“Following the birth, detectives believe Thomas placed the infant in a plastic bag and concealed him outside under leaves,” deputies say.

When deputies responded to the home, the report states, they heard faint cries from the newborn and found him inside the bag and “concealed under leaves” next to a fence. Officials say the child was still alive and showed signs he was just recently born.

EMS was called to the scene and medics took the newborn to the hospital. The newborn remains in good condition.

Detectives and crime scene investigators collected evidence and conducting interviews at the scene.

Anyone with further information about the case should call the Union County Sheriff’s Office at 704-283-3789

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