HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (Gray News) – An investigation is underway after Texas garbage workers found the body of a newborn in the back of their trash compactor, according to police.

Sergeant Sidney Miller of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office says officers were contacted about the dead infant shortly before 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. He says garbage men were making their usual rounds collecting trash in the Chimney Hills neighborhood when they stopped to compact the trash they had.

At this point, they noticed the body of a little boy on the floor of their truck.

Miller says the baby, believed to be between one and 30 days old, was naked. He says the baby appears to have been full-term and not miscarried. It’s not clear how long it had been dead.

The coroner will determine the cause and manner of the baby’s death.

Neighbor Germany Scott, who is pregnant with her third child, told KTRK she couldn’t believe what happened.

“There are many things you can do if you don’t want a baby,” she said. “An innocent baby doesn’t deserve to end up in the trash.”

Investigators plan to search through the trash they collected with the baby to find a place to start looking for suspects. They are also reviewing surveillance video and talking to neighbors.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office or Crime Stoppers.

Miller also points out that there is a law in Texas known as the Baby Moses Law. It allows parents who are unable to care for a child under 60 days old to take them to a designated safe location without facing criminal prosecution. Safe locations include hospitals, fire stations and emergency medical services.

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