Two newborn children were found dead in a trash bag at a Chicago child care center, according to police.
Police said Thursday that two infant girls were found in a garbage bag in a bathroom at the Bernice Lavine Early Childhood Education Center located in the city’s Streeterville neighborhood, a community located north of the Chicago River.
“Chicago police are conducting death investigations after two newborn girls were found dead inside a childcare center bathroom in Streeterville,” police said in a statement. “Dispatchers told responding officers that the babies were in a trash bag. The children were not breathing when first responders arrived.”
The children were pronounced dead at the Lurie Children’s Hospital after the discovery in the bathroom around 7:00 p.m. Thursday evening. “Area Three detectives are handling the investigation, which was initially classified as endangering the life or health of children,” police added.
According to ABC 7, a 29-year-old woman was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital after being found at the location lying on the floor of the bathroom and covered in blood. Staff had begun to look for her after she was late to a 6:00 p.m. class at the location. At the hospital, she underwent an undisclosed emergency surgery.
Sources told the outlet that janitors discovered the bodies of the girls while going to clean the bathroom after the woman was discovered. According to the police report, the bag containing the infants, named Sepia and Radical Red by hospital staff, was found inside a bathroom cabinet.
“An emergency medical situation involving a daycare employee occurred this evening at the daycare facility on the Northwestern Memorial Hospital campus,” Northwestern spokesman Christopher King said in a statement. “No daycare children were involved or impacted by the situation. The Chicago Fire and Police Departments were called. We are working with CPD regarding this incident and unable to comment further at this time.”
Police have not yet filed any charges in the case or made any arrests. The cause of death of the girls has yet to be determined.
The daycare center says that it “is open year-round and offers Infant through Kindergarten programs for children 6 weeks through 6 years old. Our center is a benefit for full and part time employees of Northwestern Medicine and their Campus Partners.”
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