Iowa Daycare Employee Charged with First-Degree Murder After Giving Birth at Work
A 20-year-old daycare worker in Perry, Iowa, has been arrested on a first-degree murder charge after allegedly delivering a baby in the facility’s bathroom and disposing of the infant in a trash can.
On Tuesday, emergency crews responded to Acorns and Oaks Christian Daycare in Perry, Iowa, after a call about a woman experiencing vaginal bleeding. The 20-year-old employee, Stephanie Ubaldo, was transported to a hospital where she reportedly told staff she had delivered a baby in the facility’s bathroom. Perry Police officers later searched the daycare and discovered the dead infant inside a trash can.
Investigators say Ubaldo confessed to intentionally harming the baby’s face in an attempt to silence its cries. She was arrested on Thursday, booked into the Dallas County Jail, and charged with first-degree murder, a class-A felony that can carry life imprisonment without parole. Chief Jim Archer emphasized the seriousness of the charge, while the police department highlighted Iowa’s Safe Haven law, which allows newborns up to 90 days old to be surrendered legally at designated locations.
Why it matters
The case underscores serious safety concerns in childcare settings and highlights Iowa's Safe Haven provisions for newborns.
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