Davenport woman charged with leaving her newborn in trash at UI hospital to enter plea

IOWA CITY - A Davenport woman, accused of leaving her newborn in a trash can after giving birth in a restroom at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics last year, will plead guilty next month in Johnson County District Court.

Ashley Hautzenrader, 24, is charged with attempted murder and child endangerment, an aggravated misdemeanor. Her lawyer asked for a pre-sentencing investigation to be conducted before she makes a plea. A pre-sentencing investigation contains background and other relevant information about the defendant and the crime, and also includes a sentencing recommendation from court services. The report is usually ordered by a judge after the plea.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Marsha Bergan set the plea hearing for Aug. 11.

No further details of the plea agreement have been submitted to the court.        

A criminal complaint shows Hautzenradar told UI police she thought the baby was stillborn when she gave birth May 8, 2016, in a restroom of the John Colloton Pavilion at the hospital. She delivered the infant in a toilet about 9:24 p.m.

Hautzenrader later told police she didn't know she was pregnant, and the baby wasn't crying when she gave birth so she thought it was dead, the complaint states. She admitted to police that she attempted to flush the baby down the toilet but instead put the infant in a pillow case and another bag before placing the infant in the trash can, according to the complaint.

She then cleaned up the restroom and left. She didn't tell anybody about the baby or try to get help for her child, the complaint shows. Hospital employees later found the infant alive in the trash can.

Hautzenrader was initially charged with child endangerment, but after police obtained a search warrant for her cellphone, four days after the birth, she also was charged with attempted murder.

An affidavit for a search warrant shows the cellphone contained text messages between Hautzenrader and her boyfriend about her being pregnant.

The Safe Haven law in Iowa would have allowed Hautzenrader to turn over the child to the hospital without facing criminal prosecution.

l Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com