Iowa Daycare Worker Charged After Newborn Girl Is Found Dead in Trash

A tragic investigation in Perry, Iowa, has resulted in a first-degree murder charge against a 20-year-old daycare employee after authorities say she secretly gave birth inside the childcare center and her newborn daughter was later found dead in a trash container.

The case began Tuesday, September 15, when emergency medical personnel were called to Acorns & Oaks Child Care after receiving a report that a woman was experiencing significant vaginal bleeding. The woman, later identified as Stephanie Ubaldo, was transported to a hospital for medical treatment.

Authorities were then alerted that a premature infant might be inside a garbage container at the daycare. Officers arrived at the facility and found a deceased baby girl inside a trash bag. Police said the infant was Ubaldo’s daughter.

According to the criminal complaint cited by investigators, Ubaldo had been pregnant for several months but had not told anyone about the pregnancy. Authorities allege that she delivered the baby in a bathroom at the daycare and subsequently caused injuries to the newborn.

Investigators allege that the baby was crying after the birth and that Ubaldo intentionally injured the baby’s face in an attempt to stop the crying. She then allegedly placed the newborn in a trash bag and discarded her in a trash container at the facility.

The allegations are based on information contained in court documents and statements investigators say were made during the investigation. Because the case is still in its early stages, the accusations have not been established as facts at trial.

An autopsy performed by the Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office determined that the baby had been approximately 32 to 36 weeks’ gestation. Investigators reported that the infant had multiple injuries and abrasions, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.

Ubaldo was arrested Thursday, September 17, and charged with first-degree murder. She was being held at the Dallas County Jail without bail, according to reports.

The timeline described by investigators has added to the shock surrounding the case. Emergency responders were initially called because of Ubaldo’s bleeding following childbirth. Later, authorities learned that a newborn might be inside a trash container at the daycare. Police then discovered the infant.

Investigators also allege that Ubaldo intended to return to work after giving birth, but continued bleeding prevented her from doing so.

The case has prompted attention not only because of the allegations but also because Iowa has a Safe Haven law designed to provide parents with a legal option to surrender newborn infants safely at designated locations.

Perry Police Chief James Archer highlighted that law after announcing the arrest. Under Iowa’s Safe Haven provisions, a parent or another authorized person can surrender an infant up to 90 days old at designated locations without facing prosecution for abandonment. Designated locations can include hospitals, healthcare facilities, staffed fire stations, adoption service providers, and approved newborn safety devices.

Authorities emphasized that resources are available for people experiencing pregnancy-related crises. Archer urged anyone facing such circumstances to seek help rather than attempting to handle an emergency alone.

The Safe Haven discussion has become an important part of the case because the law was specifically created to provide a safe alternative when someone feels unable to care for a newborn. The law does not eliminate legal consequences for every possible action involving a child, but it provides a mechanism for safely surrendering an infant under the conditions established by Iowa law.

For the community, the incident has raised difficult questions about what happened inside the daycare and whether warning signs could have been recognized earlier.

According to court documents, investigators believe Ubaldo knew she was pregnant but concealed the pregnancy. The circumstances surrounding that decision, including what she may have been experiencing before the birth, remain matters for investigators and the court rather than conclusions that can be drawn from the allegations alone.

The daycare itself is part of the Perry Lutheran Homes Eden Acres campus. The incident occurred at Acorns & Oaks Child Care, where Ubaldo was employed. Reports indicate the baby was not a child enrolled at the daycare.

Cases involving the death of a newborn are especially difficult for communities because they involve both a profound loss of life and questions about whether assistance could have prevented the tragedy.

They also serve as reminders that pregnancy emergencies can happen in unexpected circumstances and that medical professionals, emergency responders, crisis services, and safe-surrender programs exist to provide assistance.

The criminal investigation remains ongoing. Perry police said the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation assisted with the case, and authorities have asked anyone with relevant information to contact the Perry Police Department.

The legal process will now determine what evidence can be presented and how the allegations are evaluated. A criminal charge is not a conviction, and Ubaldo is legally presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

For now, the case has left the Perry community confronting the death of a newborn and a set of disturbing allegations surrounding the circumstances of her final moments.

What began with an emergency call about a woman suffering severe bleeding quickly became a homicide investigation. Investigators say the newborn was delivered at the daycare, suffered fatal injuries, and was later found inside a trash container.

The coming stages of the court process are expected to provide additional information about the evidence, the medical findings, and the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death.

At the center of the investigation is a newborn girl whose life lasted only a short time. Her death has prompted an outpouring of concern and renewed attention to Iowa’s Safe Haven resources, while the criminal case against the woman accused of causing her death moves forward through the justice system.