Dead baby reportedly found at San Jose recycling plant
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San Jose police on Friday were out in force at Greenwaste Recovery, investigating reports of a dead baby found at the garbage collection and recycling plant.
Workers at the company's "material recovery facility" were sorting out items on a conveyor belt when they made the grisly discovery at about 3:30 a.m. Authorities confirmed the remains were that of a baby, but it might take some time for investigators to to confirm how it died and where it came from.
KTVU has learned that the baby was possibly found on the upper level of the facility.
"Our crime scene investigators and coroner's offices are on scene and investigating the incident trying to determine the manner and cause of death, but at this point, we have not determined if the baby was stillborn or newborn," said Officer Gina Tepoorten with the San Jose Police Department.
San Jose police investigators, crime scene technicians and Santa Clara County coroners officials responded to the scene. Police launched a death investigation into the incident, but are not considering it a homicide just yet.
The large facility services the South Bay where workers sort through recycling materials, so investigators are trying to determine how the infant wound up there.
Police are looking into driver manifests inhopes of tracking down where the baby may have been picked up. The facility at 1500 Berger Drive near the 880 Nimitz Freeway accepts recycling from homes and businesses across the South Bay.
As dawn broke Friday, a steady stream of trucks resumed their drop-offs at a yard that can process more than 100 tons of material every hour.
Police say the case is a reminder that state law allows infants to be surrendered at fires stations and hospitals.
"They can, without any questions asked, within 72 hours of that child being born surrender it to either a hospital or a fire station," said Tepoorten.
San Jose police were out in force at Greenwaste Recovery, investigating reports of a dead baby found at the garbage collection and recycling plant. Oct. 25, 2019
San Jose police were out in force at Greenwaste Recovery, investigating reports of a dead baby found at the garbage collection and recycling plant. Oct. 25, 2019