The teenage mother of a baby girl who was found dumped inside a bloodied plastic bag earlier this week has been found almost 200 kilometres away.
Police tracked down the 18-year-old woman three days after the horror discovery of the newborn’s body was made by a homeowner at Stockton, near Newcastle, NSW.
Homeowner Dan Petrovic made the shock discovery on Tuesday morning, leading to a desperate police search for the baby’s mother.
She was finally located at Penrith, in Sydney’s west, on Friday morning and taken in for questioning.
This is the empty backyard where the body of a newborn baby was dumped inside a bloodied plastic bag. Police found the child’s mother on Friday after three days of desperate searching
‘The woman has spoken with police about the birth of her child. Investigators have ruled out the involvement of any third party,’ a police spokesperson said.
‘Police will await the results of a post-mortem examination and forensic testing to determine the direction of any future inquiries.’
Investigators were initially puzzled about how the infant ended up in the Church Street yard, with fears the mother may have ‘panicked and thrown the bag over a fence’.
On Wednesday morning, Mr Petrovic’s house and yard remained a crime scene and he was not allowed back in.
Police probed medical centres and hospitals for clues in their desperate search for the mother.
Those living in the quiet beachside area say they heard nothing and are all shocked at the horrific incident that has occurred in their neighbourhood.
Dan Petrovic, who owns the house (pictured), and police have no idea how the infant ended up in the Church Street yard
Home owner Mr Petrovic (pictured, right) who made the grim discovery remains shaken up some 24 hours on and is unable to return to his home, which is still covered with police tape
Police believe the backyard may have been chosen at random, having been unable to establish a link between the baby and Mr Petrovic’s (pictured) home
‘We had police in here yesterday morning and they just said there was a deceased person over the fence,’ neighbour Emily told Daily Mail Australia.
‘There’s obviously only a few points of entry, so they put the tape up and forensics were here and they had a blue tent up in the backyard until late yesterday.
‘It’s shocking, it’s just horrific, especially in such a quiet area.’
Police are continuing to search for the child’s mother who they fear may be in need of urgent medical attention.
‘There was blood and everything all over the bag. The baby was in the bag,’ a neighbour told the Daily Telegraph.
‘It was random, it could have been thrown anywhere,’ another added.
Neighbours said the resident was called Dan, lived alone and kept to himself.
Emergency services were called to a home on Church Street in Stockton, Newcastle, just after 7am on Tuesday after the newborn baby’s body was discovered
Officers from Newcastle City Police District rushed to the scene and a police operation is currently underway at the home
He was said to have been left ‘shaken and sad’ when he discovered the baby.
Police are trying to find the parents.
Emergency services were called to a home on Church Street in Stockton just after 7am on Tuesday after the baby’s body was discovered.
Officers from Newcastle City Police District rushed to the scene and established a crime scene.
A post-mortem examination will be completed to establish the precise age of the newborn and the cause of death, New South Wales Police said in a statement.
Police hold concerns for the safety and welfare of the newborn’s mother, who they believe might need urgent medical treatment.
Newcastle Police Commander Detective Superintendent Brett Greentree described the situation as ‘heartbreaking’.
Several streets in the suburb remain cordoned off and a report is being prepared for the coroner
A newborn baby has been found dead after being abandoned in a backyard in Newcastle, 160km north of Sydney
Mr Greentree told reporters police are especially concerned about the welfare of the mother and begged her to come forward so they could assist her.
‘We are particularly concerned about this female who has given birth, which we believe was very, very recently, so we are concerned about her welfare,’ he said.
‘We have grave concerns for her, she may need medical assistance. It’s very important we make sure she’s okay.’
Police are currently searching the nearby community, local hospitals and surrounding neighbourhood to try and find the mother.
‘We haven’t ruled anything out and are looking for any assistance we can obtain from the community,’ Mr Greentree said.
A post-mortem examination will be completed to establish the age of the newborn and the cause of death, NSW Police said in a statement
The occupant of the house is assisting police with the investigation, but Mr Greentree said he has ‘no association’ to the baby.
Officers were appealing for public assistance and urged anyone with information about the unidentified baby or mother to contact Newcastle detectives or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police are currently searching the nearby community, local hospitals and surrounding neighbourhood to try and find the mother