Newborn Found Dead at Waffle House in Gretna

A woman in Louisiana has been charged with second-degree murder after a newborn baby was found dead in a porta-potty at a Waffle House restaurant. The incident occurred on Thursday, March 26, at approximately 3:17 a.m. at the Waffle House located on Westbank Expressway in Gretna.

Police Respond to Disturbing Scene

Gretna Police officers responded to a call and encountered Lekesha Lemelle, who had bloodstains on her pants. According to an arrest warrant obtained by Us Weekly, Lemelle admitted to giving birth but was unable to recall the time elapsed between the delivery and her interview with police. She also reportedly could not provide information regarding the baby’s condition.

Baby Found Deceased in Porta-Potty Tank

Officers and EMTs were directed to the porta-potty, where they discovered the baby boy deceased at the bottom of the tank. A subsequent autopsy conducted by medical examiners determined the full-term newborn was alive at birth and appeared to be healthy.

Official Statements on the Tragedy

Jason DiMarco, Gretna’s Deputy Police Chief, described the scene as shocking and unprecedented. “This isn’t anything you can prepare for — this isn’t something you expect to see, a newborn,” DiMarco said to WDSU. “It’s horrifying.”

DiMarco emphasized Louisiana’s “Safe Haven” law, which allows individuals to surrender infants up to 60 days old to designated safe locations without fear of prosecution. These locations include police stations, firehouses, and medical facilities, provided the child is given to a person.

Witness Account from Waffle House Staff

Rongelia Steadman, a Waffle House employee, stated that staff had offered Lemelle meals after noticing she was sleeping on the streets near the restaurant. “You could have brought the baby to the fire station, police station, anywhere instead of having the baby in the porta-potty and leaving it,” Steadman, a grandmother, told the station. “You could have given that child to anybody.”

Similar Incident in New Mexico

This incident follows a similar case in New Mexico last month. Sonia Cristal Jimenez was charged with intentional child abuse resulting in death after allegedly giving birth in a portable toilet and abandoning her newborn daughter, who subsequently drowned in the holding tank. Police investigations revealed Jimenez likely severed the baby’s umbilical cord before placing her in the toilet.