A mother who pleaded guilty to tossing her newborn baby girl in a Boca Raton dumpster over three years ago will spend years behind bars.
Rafaelle Sousa, 38, entered the plea and was sentenced Wednesday to seven and a half years behind bars. She will be credited with three years served and will spend five years on probation after she is released.
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Sousa admitted to delivering the baby before placing her in a bag and throwing it in the dumpster of the Boca Raton complex on May 8, 2019.
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Palm Beach Sheriff's Office officials said the newborn weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and had her umbilical cord still attached. A lieutenant with the sheriff's office said the baby is "cute as a button."
Authorities said the baby was found by two people who were walking near an apartment complex when they heard what sounded like a baby crying. The girl was taken to a local hospital to get checked out.
Custody of the baby was given to her father.
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Under Florida law, newborns can be dropped off anonymously at a hospital or fire station with no questions asked.
