Texas teen sentenced to 15 years after admitting to killing her newborn

The teen mother has a second child that has been placed in the custody of Child Protective Services

NBCDFW.com

A 17-year-old is headed to jail for 15 years after admitting to police she killed her newborn baby two years ago.

According to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office, a teen girl whose name is being withheld due to her age was charged with capital murder of a person under 10 after her newborn died of blunt force injuries to her head.

The teen gave birth to her daughter Dayana on Sept. 9, 2021, inside a bathroom at her family's Fort Worth home. Sometime after the child's birth, paramedics were called and Dayana was taken to the hospital. Investigators said the child had a skull fracture and was hemorrhaging. Six hours later she died.

In a statement Friday, the district attorney's office said, "A review of the girl’s cell phone revealed chat messages between her and the baby’s father stating that neither wanted the baby. They discussed how to get rid of the baby, such as taking abortion pills or punching the teen mother in the stomach. The girl said she could wrap the baby 'in a towel and hit it.'"

The DA's office said the teen admitted she killed her baby and asked a jury to determine her sentence. The juvenile was sentenced to 15 years behind bars for the murder.

The district attorney's office said the teen will spend the next two years in the Texas Juvenile Justice Department and that shortly before her 19th birthday a judge will determine whether she should be moved to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to serve out the remainder of her sentence.

The juvenile has since had another baby that was taken from her by Child Protective Services, the DA said.

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