Arrest made after Louisiana woman allegedly leaves newborn in trashcan
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Kyandrea Thomas was collecting money for the Salvation Army when she walked into a Walmart bathroom and gave birth

Authorities arrested a woman in New Roads, Louisiana, after she reportedly left a newborn baby girl in a trashcan at a local Walmart.

ABC 13 reports that the New Roads Police Department arrested Kyandrea Thomas, 34, on Christmas Eve after she reportedly gave birth to an infant inside the store and tossed the baby in the trash can before leaving. Thomas checked herself into Lane Regional Medical Center shortly after. When she was discharged from the hospital, police immediately arrested her.

Pointe Coupee Parish Coroner’s Office’s chief deputy, Joe Gannon, the baby was taken to the hospital, and although she wasn’t initially responding, healthcare providers stabilized the little girl. For now, she’s been named Olivia. Beforehand, firefighters performed CPR on the infant at the store after a Walmart employee found her.

New Roads Police Lt. Shael Stringer stated that there are places that people can drop off unwanted infants, which isn’t considered illegal. Leaving a newborn baby in a store, however, can lead to felony charges.

“There are places all over where a person can bring a baby. They can drop them off at the hospital, they can drop them off at the police department… It’s hard when people have resources in these circumstances and they choose to have the baby and leave it in the bathroom of Walmart.”

Officers indicated that Thomas fully confessed to the crime after she was arrested. She’s facing charges of attempted second degree murder.

This isn’t the first time Kyandrea Thomas has been arrested. In July 2009, while employed at a Baton Rouge daycare, Thomas was indicted on negligent homicides charges after 3-year-old Damiyn McElveen was found dead in a Wanda’s Kids World daycare van. The little girl was left inside a van for six hours, with temperatures soaring to degrees. She received five years’ probation and 10,000 community services hours after pleading guilty. The daycare was subsequently closed.

[Feature photo by New Roads Police Department]