Fetus found in gift box, Texas couple charged

[WriteDown]

Source: AP

SAN JUAN, Texas — A south Texas couple put an aborted 7-month-old fetus in a gift box under a Christmas tree after they were unable to flush the remains down a toilet, authorities alleged Monday.

Ruby Lee Medina, 31, and Javier Gonzalez, 37, of Mission, have been charged with abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. Bond was set Monday at $20,000 each.

A woman who answered the telephone at the San Juan city jail Monday night said she could not say whether Medina or Gonzalez had retained an attorney.

San Juan Police Chief Juan Gonzalez said police found the fetus inside the woman's trailer home Thursday after getting an anonymous tip.

Autopsy results are pending, but Gonzalez said police believe the woman used pills to induce an abortion Thursday, then called an ambulance after she began bleeding and told doctors she didn't know where the fetus was.

The police chief said the couple tried to flush the fetus down the toilet, but that didn't work.

"Apparently they cleaned up the fetus and they placed it inside a gift box under the Christmas tree," the police chief said.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2009/12/15/inconvenient-truth-gore-claims-dont-add/

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Wonder how far along she was. Depraved.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[Tansy_Gold]

2. How far along??? The first line says it was a 7-month fetus

Read much?

[WriteDown]

4. Sorry...

All I saw was fetus in a gift box under the trip and I got a little thrown off. Human much?

[Brickbat]

3. Hm, I wouldn't say depraved, I'd say distraught and lost.

This sounds terribly sad to me.

[WriteDown]

5. I would normally say that...

but that doesn't explain putting it under the tree. Mental illness perhaps.

[Scairp]

8. Really odd

Cleaning it up, putting it under the tree? Really, really odd. Maybe they are mildly retarded, low IQ, something. And doing it at 7 months, well that's just plain unnecessary. Four months ago she could have had an abortion in a clinic, no legal problems at all. I'm sure there is much more to this. I also noticed they didn't charge them with killing it. It must have been stillborn, or whatever, it was a do-it-yourself abortion, so it sounds like it did not take a breath. Just a terrible situation.

[chatnoir]

6. 7 mos!? Isn't it already viable?

Why are they not being charged with more in that case?

[Schema Thing]

7. Seriously?

you want that that fetus have to be born and have to live with those two parents?


That is cruel.

[DollyM]

9. A lot of people would love to have a baby . . . .

Babies can be given a chance and put up for adoption, there are many out there who would give a baby a loving home. As a parent who just lost our only child in May, it breaks my heart to see someone so carelessly throw away a child who could have brought much joy to another couple or another person.

[Schema Thing]

10. I'm very sorry for your loss

That's a nightmare, losing a child you love.

But, from my perspective, I'm still glad that this particular fetus didn't have to enter a world governed by it's foul parents. Like I said, that would be cruel. And I see no evidence we can just adopt our way out of the problem of unwanted pregnancies or incompetent, abusive parents.

[chatnoir]

13. (((DollyM)))

Oh, I am so so sorry. I truly cannot imagine what heartbreak and pain you've gone thru in losing your only child. My heart goes out to you.

[chatnoir]

12. How did you get that from what I said?

If she didn't want the poor thing why on earth wait until the 7th month to induce an abortion?? Unless she was totally nuts? That >to me< is disgusting.


On edit: that appears to be the wrong link in the OP.

Other later articles include the following: "It might be capital murder if autopsy reveals the fetus was living and breathing fetus when she self-induced," according to the chief of police, which was what I was wondering about.

[BrightKnight]

14. 22 - 27 weeks is viable, After 26 weeks a compelling medical need

is required in Texas. An elective 28 week abortion is called adoption.


A still born child can really mess up some women. She probably needs help.

I hope that they are not trying to play some kind of cynical political game.

[mamaleah]

11. I really really hope that they do not have any other children.

And if they do, I hope those kids have been removed from their custody.

Absolutely disgusting story.