A 28-year-old Nevada woman, Taylor Sierra Dickinson, has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly discarding her newborn baby in a dumpster. Dickinson reportedly told law enforcement that she believed leaving her child in the trash was her “best option,” according to police reports.
Dickinson, a mother of two, is accused of wrapping her newborn son in a garbage bag and leaving him in a dumpster in Sun Valley. The baby was later discovered by a passerby and is now reported to be in good health, according to local news sources.
Law enforcement officials stated that Dickinson, who is married, claimed she was unaware of her pregnancy until she gave birth in a nearby restroom on July 5. She reportedly reacted with “panic and shock” upon the birth of the child.
During a bail hearing, Washoe County Sheriff’s Detective Claire Hoops-Adams testified that Dickinson was unaware of the baby’s gender or whether the child was breathing or moving. “According to her, the infant was wrapped completely in the towel and placed in the garbage bag. In her panic, she thought that was her best option,” Hoops-Adams said.
Hoops-Adams also noted that Dickinson allegedly confessed she did not want any more children, citing financial struggles. The detective also revealed that Dickinson had previously miscarried in 2023 and had disposed of the fetus in a garbage can.
The abandoned newborn was found nearly 10 hours later by a passerby who heard cries from the dumpster and rescued the baby. The child was immediately taken to Renown Regional Medical Center and is now in stable condition, according to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Darin Balaam praised the quick actions of the community member who found the baby. “This child is alive today because of the swift and selfless actions of a community member who didn’t hesitate to help,” Balaam said. He also reminded the community of the state’s Safe Haven Law, which allows parents to legally surrender an infant to any hospital, fire station, or law enforcement agency within 30 days of birth.
Dickinson was arrested and additionally charged with child abuse, neglect, or endangerment. She is currently being held on a $1 million cash-only bail.