An American McDonald’s cashier is facing an attempted murder charge after giving birth to a boy while at work, and then trying to flush the newborn down the toilet.
The San Mateo County district attorney’s office has said Sarah Lockner, 25, was working at a McDonald’s in the state of California on the evening of September 4 when she complained of stomach pain.
The woman visited the fast-food chains bathroom several times, to the concern of her co-worker. When the employee entered the bathroom to check on Lockner, prosecutors claim there was a large amount of blood on the floor.
The Redwood City woman tried to dismiss the bloody mess as a heavy period, but her behaviour drew the attention of a second employee.
The second employee then peered over Lockner’s stall and ‘saw a newborn baby face down in [the] toilet bowl,’ prosecutors explained.
The employee described the woman having her hand across the newborns back, and then quickly attempting to flush the toilet.
According to the employee, Lockner pleaded with her to not call the police.
Police arrived shortly after to find the child in Lockner’s arms.
San Mateo County District Attoney Steve Wagstaffe told The Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, ‘The baby had no pulse and was not breathing, so officers performed CPR and rushed the infant to Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto’.
‘The infant is alive and in stable condition, but the extent of the baby’s brain injuries are not known,’ he continued.
Lockner is maintaining she was unaware she was pregnant.
She has been charged with felony child abuse and inflicting great bodily injury, along with the attempted murder charge.
Lockner is scheduled to be arraigned on September 18, and is being held on $11 million bail.
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