Police question “person of interest” in connection with slain newborn

Streamwood police questioned a “person of interest” Tuesday in connection with their investigation into who strangled and dumped a newborn in a trash can inside a Salvation Army store last week, authorities confirmed.

Deputy Police Chief James Keegan said the person was taken into custody early Tuesday and detained for questioning. He would not say whether the person was the mother of the newborn boy killed shortly after birth in the store’s employee restroom Friday afternoon.

“We have some loose ends to tie up and some witnesses to interview before we release any more information,” Keegan said. “We do have a person of interest in custody, and that person is connected to the incident, but that’s all we can say right now.”

Authorities indicated charges were not expected Tuesday.

The newborn was found about 1:20 p.m. Friday by an employee of the Salvation Army store at 1080 S. Barrington Road in Streamwood, officials said. The boy appeared to have been delivered alive, then strangled at the scene, authorities said.

“We believe the baby was delivered there in the bathroom and found a couple of hours later after the delivery, birth and death,” Keegan said.

The death was ruled a homicide Saturday by the Cook County medical examiner’s office, and detectives with the Northwest Suburban Major Case Assistance Team have been searching for the mother, described as a Hispanic woman between 15 and 25 years old standing between 5-foot and 5-foot-4 inches tall, conversant in both English and Spanish, with dark brown, below-the-shoulder-length hair in a ponytail.

The baby weighed 6 pounds, 11 ounces, and was 18 inches long when born, police said.

Police continue to ask for the public’s help in the case. Anyone with information can call the Streamwood police investigations division at (630) 736-3700. A confidential crime tip line also is available to anonymous callers at (630) 736-3719.