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Arrest Made In 2006 Death Of Newborn In Trash Bin

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By BILLY TOWNSEND | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 22, 2008

Kami Sargent

LAKELAND - Detectives arrested a Riverview woman today who is accused of leaving a newborn baby in a trash bin in Lakeland two years ago, the Polk County Sheriff's Office reported.

The baby died.

Kami Sargent, 41, of 10418 Harvest Time Place, faces a charge of aggravated manslaughter. Detectives say her DNA matches that of the placenta found with the dead baby girl in the trash bin at 5436 Lewellyn Road on May 9, 2006.

The break in the case came in November when Sargent was placed on probation in Polk County for driving without a license on Nov. 11.

At that time, police took a DNA swab from her and placed it in a DNA database.

On Tuesday, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement informed the sheriff's office that Sargent's DNA matched that of the placenta, the sheriff's office reported.

Sargent was arrested today and questioned by detectives. A sheriff's spokeswoman said Sargent told them she gave birth to the full-term baby and left it in the trash bin.

The baby died there and was found by an apartment maintenance worker.

Sargent "told detectives that she did not want her family to know she was pregnant," sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Rodgers said.

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