Babysitter charged for leaving baby in dumpster and assaulting mother

New Haven, CT – A 24-year-old Hamden woman has been charged with leaving an infant in a New Haven dumpster. She is due in Superior Court today. Andiana Velez faces charges not only for the abandonment yesterday of an eight-month-old girl but also for assaulting the child’s 21-year-old mother earlier in the day. It is believed Velez was the child’s baby sitter. The eight-month-old remains hospitalized. New Haven Police and the state Department of Children and Families (DCF) are continuing to investigate the cause of the child’s injuries. Investigators have not yet determined who is responsible for the infant’s burn injuries. Andiana Velez is charged with, Risk of injury to a child, Assault second degree, Reckless endangerment first degree. This morning, officers will transfer Velez to an arraignment hearing at Superior Court in New Haven. Velez is being held in lieu of $250,000 bail.

Last night, New Haven Police were investigating after maintenance workers found a baby in a dumpster outside a Newhallville apartment building. Around 2:00 PM, officers responded to Presidential Gardens at 573 Dixwell Avenue. The apartment complex includes 200 Shelton Avenue and 160 Hazel Street. An ambulance transported the infant alive to Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital at 1 Park Street. The infant is an eight-month-old girl. As of 3:30 PM, officers remained on scene and had located the child’s mother a short time later.

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