Parents Charged with Attempted Murder of Newborn

On February 21, around 5:40 pm, APD officers were called to a house in the 1700 block of Bush Ave.  When officers arrived, they contacted emergency personnel, who had been summoned earlier to a report of a miscarriage. They told officers that they had arrived and began treating the mother, and discovered a newborn baby, still alive, in the trash. Both the mother and baby were transported by ambulance to a local hospital.

Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators were called to the scene. Detectives learned that after the baby was born, it was placed in the trash. According to the investigation, the parents then waited over an hour to call for help. On Friday, February 23, the investigation led to the arrest of both parents for Attempted First Degree Murder.  Thelma Kirkland and Carl Hall were both arrested and booked into the Rapides Parish Detention Center. The baby is still on life support.

This investigation is still ongoing, and no other details are available at this time.