Body of infant girl found in lake a mile from campus

Prince George's County Police are asking for help from the public in solving the case of a dead infant found in a bag in Lake Artemesia.

While fishing in the lake in Indian Creek Park near Paint Branch Parkway on Sunday at around 3 p.m., two men discovered a black plastic bag with the remains of a newborn infant, police said. The lake is about a mile from the campus, bordering 54th Avenue and the College Park Airport.

Also in the bag were the after birth and umbilical cord, which seem to indicate the baby did not live long before it was placed in the bag, according to police spokesman Officer Evan Baxter.

The incident is being investigated by the county police's Homicide Unit and the Maryland-National Capital Park Police.

Upon finding the remains, the men called 911 and both police and fire departments responded. The infant is described as being an either white or Hispanic full-term female with black hair.

Police do not have much information yet and are waiting for the completion of a full medical examination in hopes that it will give them some clues and leads to the identity of the child or her mother and the circumstances of the crime. Police are optimistic the medical examination will be completed within the week.

In the press release, police reminded citizens of the Maryland Infant Safe Haven Law which allows a mother to leave her child in the care of any responsible adult at a police station, fire department or hospital anonymously with no questions asked within 72 hours of birth. Currently, all 50 states have some form of this law in place.

Baxter stressed that the community is going to be the police's best resource in solving the crime and said police are really pushing the Crime Solvers tip line as an important tool.

Police are asking anyone with information about the mother or the infant to call the Prince George's County Police Department's Homicide Unit at (301) 772-4925 or the Crime Solver's tip line at 1-866-411-TIPS (8477) or text CRIMES (274637). A reward is being offered for any information leading to an arrest and indictment.

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