An Arizona woman whose newborn girl was found dead last week in the bathroom of an Amazon distribution center told cops she didn’t know she was pregnant and “panicked” after giving birth, according to local reports.
Samantha Vivier, 22, was booked on suspicion of unlawful disposal of human remains Tuesday after her full-term baby was discovered wrapped in a plastic bag in the garbage of the women’s bathroom at the Phoenix facility Jan. 17.
The Amazon worker told cops she had gained 15 pounds recently but never felt a baby move, and hadn’t gone to see a doctor in the past year, according to court documents obtained by AZ Central.
When she gave birth around 11:30 a.m., on her lunch break, she said the baby wasn’t breathing or moving and she told cops she was “confident” it was stillborn. She stayed in the stall for an “extended period of time” before another employee gave her paper towels and a plastic bag to clean up blood on the floor.
Vivier said she put the baby in the trash so that it wouldn’t be found and “to hide the birth from the father of the baby.” She then called a friend who gave her a ride home.
At about 8 p.m., a janitor changing a trash bag noticed it was “heavier than usual” and peeked inside to find an infant’s head. The baby was “unresponsive” and “cold to the touch,” the records said.
A witness told cops Vivier had been sick in the restroom for two hours and needed new pants. Vivier confirmed to cops that she’d given birth and paramedics were sent to her location.
During Vivier’s initial court appearance Tuesday, prosecutors said they do believe that the baby was stillborn, but that a medical examiner will determine the exact cause of death.
Amazon issued a statement after the arrest calling the incident “terribly sad and tragic” and saying they were providing on-site counseling for their employees as needed.