A young Utah women accused of leaving her newborn infant in a trashcan has been released on bail, with tests ordered to see if she's mentally competent to stand trial for attempted murder.
Alicia Marie Englert, 23, was released from the Salt Lake County Jail after posting $25,000 bail.
On her release Monday, she told reporters she had not realized she had been pregnant.
Englert's parents say Alicia suffers from a learning disability and would not have comprehended what she was doing or that it was wrong.
Prosecutors said the baby girl, now in the custody of child welfare workers, was born in August at Englert's home.
She allegedly left the newborn wrapped in a towel without food or medical attention while she went to work the next day, then allegedly dumped the infant in a trash receptacle Aug. 26, they said.
Originally held on $500,000 bail, that was later reduced to $25,000 with prosecutors' agreement.
"As long as she doesn't get pregnant again I really don't think she presents a risk to the public," prosecutor Robert Parrish said.
The crime isn't likely to be repeated, he said, and fits a pattern seen in similar cases. "This was a somewhat understandable if very difficult to comprehend action," he said.
When found in the trash by a neighbor who said she though she heard a cat purring, the baby was suffering from respiratory distress, hypothermia and a blood infection, officials said.
If she had not been found when she was she likely would have died, said Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition and placed on a ventilator, but has since recovered and was released to the welfare workers.
Englert has said the baby's father is aware of the child but she refused to identify him and authorities say they've been unable to determine his identity.
As a condition of her release, Englert has been ordered not to contact him, they said.
She has also been barred from having unsupervised contact with any children, and ordered not to discuss the case with her parents or former co-workers.
Englert has agreed to live with her brother while awaiting the competency test and possible trial. Upon her release she expressed sorrow at what occurred with the baby girl.
If convicted of attempted murder Englert could face a sentence of up to life in prison.
