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Tuesday, May 22, 2001
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Dead baby found in casino trash bin; Safe-Haven bill faces Assembly vote

A dead baby was found in a trash bin at the Harrah's Las Vegas on Monday, just a day before the Assembly examines legislation designed to prevent such incidents.

State Sen. Ray Rawson said he hopes that his Baby Safe-Haven bill will receive final legislative approval in the Assembly today.

Rawson, R-Las Vegas, said late Monday he sees the discovery at Harrah's as further proof that Senate Bill 191 is necessary.

"It may not stop all of these babies' deaths, but it will stop some of them," he said. "This demonstrates its pertinence."

The bill would allow mothers to safely leave their babies at hospitals, churches or fire stations without fear of prosecution. Any baby taken in under those circumstances would become a ward of the state.

Las Vegas police Lt. Wayne Petersen said a baby was found in a plastic bag at 12:40 p.m. by someone sorting through trash for recyclable materials at the resort, 3475 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

It could not be immediately determined whether the male baby died before or after birth. A medical examination is pending, and police are trying to identify the child's mother.

"At this time it certainly does not look promising," Petersen said of the search for the parent, noting that it will be difficult to determine which part of the resort the trash came from.

In a similar case Feb. 6, a baby subsequently referred to as Baby Boy Atlantic was found by a man rummaging through a trash bin at Olive and Atlantic streets, near Charleston Boulevard and Eastern Avenue.

The cause of death on that baby was undetermined following a Clark County coroner's autopsy.

Coroner Ron Flud has said such cases occur in the county about once every two years.

Rawson said the Baby Safe-Haven bill has already passed the Senate. He said if the Assembly passes the bill, it will be forwarded to Gov. Kenny Guinn for final approval.

Don Jaye, a Las Vegas-based spokesman for the Knights of Columbus, said the philanthropic organization is planning a memorial service for the Harrah's baby. A date of the service is pending release of the body by the coroner's office.

"We believe in protecting life as best we can, and if that can't be done, we have to make sure the baby receives a proper burial," he said.

The organization has performed six services for abandoned babies in the Las Vegas Valley since the late 1980s.

Kim DuCharme, a volunteer with a program known as Project Cuddle, said a 24-hour hot line of 1-888-628-3353 offers alternative options to women considering abandoning their newborns.