Grandmother, teen parents of newborn abandoned in alley charged
CHICAGO (SUN TIMES MEDIA WIRE) - The teen mother and father of the baby boy abandoned in an alley earlier this week have been charged with attempted murder.
The 16-year-old girl, who police determined was the baby’s mother, is charged with one count of first-degree attempted murder, Chicago police said. A 17-year-old boy is charged with the same crime.
The girl was released into her mother’s custody during her initial court hearing Friday morning at the Cook County Juvenile Center. The judge did not impose any restrictions or conditions for her to be released, according to Rajeev Bajaj, the girl’s private attorney.
Judge Stuart F. Lubin also released the boy into his father’s custody. He ordered him to stay away from the hospital where the baby is receiving treatment.
His mother, 37-year-old Karla L. Antimo, is charged with one felony count of false report of offense, authorities said. She admitted to investigators that the newborn is her grandson.
Prosecutors argued for a restraining order to prevent the father from coming into contact with the mother, but Lubin rebuffed the request.
The girl gave birth about 6 a.m. on Tuesday, police and prosecutors said. She wrapped the newborn in a beach towel, umbilical cord still attached, and placed him atop of a garbage can in an alley located in the 3500 block of North Pulaski Road.
The boy went back to the alley, grabbed the baby boy and placed him inside of a bag, authorities said. He called his mother, who took the newborn to a fire station in the 1700 block of North Pulaski Road.
Prosecutors conceded that they didn’t have a witness to corroborate this, but said a witness did see the teenagers cleaning up blood throughout the apartment building, including in a stairwell. Lubin also ordered the boy to stay away from that witness.
Karla Antimo is scheduled to appear in court for a bail hearing on Friday. Both teens are due back in court June 14.
The baby was taken to a hospital and could be released as early as this weekend, according to Illinois Department of Children and Family Services spokesman Jassen Strokosch. In Illinois, parents have up to 30 days to hand over their infant at a “safe haven” location if they cannot or choose not to care for their child.