MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — Police say the mother of the stillborn baby that was found in dirty linens at a laundry service is a 14-year-old girl and the father, a 32-year-old man, has been charged with statutory rape.
According to police, Jose Armando Recinos-Ramirez faces one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct for engaging in sexual activity with a minor.
Police began investigating the couple when the teen gave birth to the stillborn child at Regions Hospital on April 3.
The charges state police went to the 14-year-old’s home but she was reluctant to talk about the child’s father. She told police his first name was Jose and his last name was “Resinoz.”
She said he was the only person she had sex with but that he told her he was 17 when they first met at the Mall of America the previous summer.
According to the charges, the girl said they started dating in September and she still considered him to be her boyfriend. She said she didn’t know where he lived and wouldn’t provide police with any of his personal information.
She initially said he was in the country illegally and fled to El Salvador. According to police, she professed her love for him and said she wanted to marry him.
Police received a call from a relative of Recinos-Ramirez, who said they wanted to discuss the situation. A short time later, Recinos-Ramirez arrived at the police station and agreed to discuss what happened.
Recinos-Ramirez said the girl told him she was 18 when they first met. After about a month, he said he suspected she might be lying about her age but she refused to show him her ID.
Recinos-Ramirez said the two engaged in sexual intercourse “one or two times” but said he wasn’t sure the stillborn baby born at Regions Hospital was his because she was out “messing around.”
Recinos-Ramirez was at the hospital when the child was born.
Last week, workers at a Red Wing laundry service discovered the 22-week-old baby’s body, while they were getting ready to wash linens. Inside the pile of laundry was the body of a boy. He was in a diaper and had an ID bracelet on his ankle.
Regions Hospital says the baby came from their St. Paul morgue, and they apologized for the mistake shortly after.
Regions said they are investigating but it’s unclear if anyone will be punished.
Regions Hospital officials announced Friday that they believe a second set of remains of a stillborn baby were sent in a basket of linens to a laundry in Red Wing. That case is still being investigated.
