AMY SZPARA

LAPLACE – A LaPlace woman was arrested and booked with attempted second-degree murder Thursday, days after her newborn was found wrapped in towels in a plastic bag inside a car. Keysla Green, 21, is being held on $200,000 bond at the old parish jail, where female inmates are kept. She was arrested after being released from River Parishes Hospital, where she was taken after she gave birth and police found the baby on Sunday. According to authorities, Green said she believed the baby was stillborn. She had concealed her pregnancy and received no prenatal care, and no one was aware of the pregnancy until Sunday when officers responded to a medical emergency call regarding a bleeding pregnant woman. According to Capt. Mike Tregre of the St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office, deputies arrived at the location and were instructed to go to the back yard of the residence, where they found a baby wrapped in towels and sheets inside a plastic bag in the vehicle. Paramedics got the baby out of the plastic bag, and the newborn was crying at that time. They estimate the baby was in the vehicle for about 45 minutes to an hour. The child was then transported to River Parishes Hospital and later to Ochsner Foundation Hospital, where the infant was being treated for respiratory problems. The child, a girl who has been named Taylor Green, weighed 6 pounds, 8 1/2 ounces, and she is now listed in stable condition at this time. Authorities said the homeowner, who was helping Green out by giving her and her other two children a place to stay, was unaware she was pregnant. When the homeowner passed by the restroom, Green, who was having cramps and suffered from lightheadedness, grabbed her leg to tell her she needed help. The homeowner, who thought Green was having a miscarriage, called a relative who is a registered nurse to help with the situation. The nurse saw signs of child birth, said Tregre, and Green told her the baby was in the back yard. Police and the nurse arrived at the vehicle around the same time. According to Tregre, the mother said she was planning to tell the homeowner she had given birth and the baby had died, but police arrived before she had a chance. “The baby is doing well, though,” said Tregre. “It’s a happy ending for the baby.” The child’s best welfare will be determined by Child Protection Services, which will handle the baby from here on out.