LAKELAND, Fla. — A deceased baby boy was found inside a dumpster behind a business, prompting an investigation into how the child got there, Lakeland Police Chief Sammy Taylor Jr. said.
A man going through the dumpster outside a fitness center called Just Move, located on Florida Avenue South just north of the Polk Parkway, made the discovery before alerting authorities, Taylor said during a news conference Thursday morning.
The baby was said to be in a bag with an umbilical attached. It's believed the body had been there for about 10 hours.
Investigators are attempting to figure out if the baby was killed or stillborn and what charges are possible, said Taylor, adding that they are waiting for the results of an autopsy.
The chief says the person who left the baby could have decided to go to an emergency room or ambulance station in the nearby area.