Clovis Police arrest 18-year-old after body of newborn found in trash

CLOVIS, Calif. (KFSN) -- In a squeaky clean Clovis neighborhood, power washers have done their best to remove all traces of blood.

For mothers like Cheri Krueger, no amount of cleansing can wash away the horror.

"We noticed their gate open, and there was a gentleman and all the cement was wet and he was there scrubbing, it was then that I knew that baby was in the garbage can in that person's backyard," said neighbor Cheri Krueger.

Police say the child's own mother made the body dump. They believe 18-year-old Angelena Hamilton did not tell anyone she was pregnant, harboring the secret, even from her own family.

"They really did not know. They are very much in shock over this whole thing," said Clovis Police Chief Matt Basgall.

Detectives say the mother's mental state is a mystery. They do not know why she chose the deliver the child alone. They say after getting rid of the body, she carried on with class at Clovis Community College, like nothing happened.

"It's devastating a newly born baby's life was lost, and an 18-year-old made the decision to do this, people need to know that there are options out there," said Basgal.

We knocked on the family's home Thursday, they did not want to speak.

Detectives told us they were heartbroken when they found out, and so was the rest of the neighborhood.

"I'm sitting in the hospital holding my brand new grandson, thinking somebody threw away a baby just like this, and to find out it was a girl, it's just sad," said Krueger.

Police say the baby was alive at the time of birth. An autopsy has been scheduled to find out how she died.