Baby in the Dumpster: Woman Who Dumped Newborn Arrested After 14 Years

In Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a woman was arrested and charged on July 2, 2021, after the police tied her to the baby in the dumpster case that went cold nearly 14 years ago.

Following an investigation on July 1, Tara Brazzle, 44, has admitted to the police that she is the mother of the newborn abandoned at a dumpster near the local YMCA in September 2007.

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According to reports, Brazzle was one of 25 female suspects in the baby in the dumpster case after the police conducted an extensive DNA test of the baby's remains. However, Brazzle made the police job's easier when she confessed her connection to the child.

Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams confirmed Brazzle's arrest in a news conference and announced that the baby in the dumpster cold case had been solved.

What Happened to Baby Mary Anne?

In the fall of 2007, the police pulled out the body of a newborn girl in a dumpster, wrapped in a blood-stained towel, following a report from YMCA staff members. Next to her was a plastic bag containing the placenta and the umbilical cord.

The police believed that the baby, born around the 37th or 38th week, was still alive when she was abandoned. They tried to follow leads to the case and generated community interest, who named her Baby Mary Anne. Despite the investigations and the media coverage, the police could not close the case.

In 2016, Sgt. Randell Zook was following up on the cold case and tapped the help of Parabon Nanolabs for the baby's genetic genealogy. They uploaded Baby Mary Anne's DNA into a database and tracked down a second cousin.

Zook then tried to build a family tree based on the information he collected from the second cousin, genealogy resources, open-source information, and the police database. They interviewed some people, including Brazzle, who has moved from Lancaster to Indiana.

According to the district attorney, Brazzle confessed that she did not have proper prenatal care while pregnant with her baby and could not afford medical care after the birth. Formerly known as Tara Indrakosit, the mother worked at the YMCA, where she dumped her child several days after having her.

Mom Tried to Flee

Despite her confession, the police did not book Brazzle right away. According to the reports, the authorities wanted to ensure that no other person helped the mother dispose of her child. The cops wanted to investigate further before obtaining an arrest warrant.

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However, after talking to the cops, Brazzle left Indiana and boarded a plane for California. The Lancaster County police coordinated with the San Jose Police Department to make sure that Brazzle would not leave the airport, and they succeeded.

The police are now asking anyone with information about Tara Brazzle née Indrakosit around 2007 to get in touch with Sgt. Zook at the Lancaster City Bureau of Police by calling 717-735-3322. They may also file an online tip to build their case against Brazzle.