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NC mom arrested after newborn discarded in plastic bag. He lived, cops say

A North Carolina mother faces an attempted murder charge after her newborn was found discarded in a plastic bag and hidden in leaves outside their home, sheriff’s investigators said Thursday

Investigators found the infant and said he is in good condition at a local hospital.

The mother, 24-year-old Casey Marie Thomas of Marshville, is in custody, according to a Union County Sheriff’s Office news release. She also faces a charge of felony child abuse, investigators said.

Thomas gave birth at her home Wednesday, according to the sheriff’s office.

A concerned family member later took Thomas to Atrium Health Union hospital after seeing “large amounts of blood loss,” according to the release.

“Medical personnel observed evidence of a recent childbirth, despite denials of pregnancy by Thomas,” sheriff’s officials said in the release. Medical staff alerted sheriff’s deputies.

Casey Marie Thomas
Casey Marie Thomas Union County Sheriff's Office

Deputies and a Marshville police officer went to Thomas’s home in the 8600 block of East Highway 74 and found the infant “after hearing a faint cry,” according to the release.

The infant is now in the custody of the local Department of Social Services, investigators said.

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 4:24 PM.

Joe Marusak
The Charlotte Observer
Joe Marusak has been a reporter for The Charlotte Observer since 1989 covering the people, municipalities and major news events of the region, and was a news bureau editor for the paper. He currently reports on breaking news. Support my work with a digital subscription
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