A Michigan woman has been arraigned on murder and child abuse charges after giving birth at her office and putting her newborn child in a plastic bag in her desk, the Detroit Free Press reports. Kimberly Pappas, 25, told police that she had had a miscarriage, but the autopsy concluded the death was a homicide by suffocation.

Pappas gave birth in the bathroom of her workplace, Ceva Logistics, where she was a temporary-service employee, before returning to her desk, My Fox Detroit reported earlier this month. Her coworkers had heard moaning coming from the bathroom and found blood on the floor.

The woman’s coworkers called 911, MLive reports. The baby—who Pappas had put in a drawer of her desk, inside sealed plastic bag (itself inside a tote bag)—was pronounced dead shortly after being taken to the hospital.

Pappas, facing charges of felony murder, premeditated murder and first-degree child abuse, appeared in court Friday by video arraignment and was denied bond.

Defense attorney Ray Cassar told the Free Press that she has been in therapy for mental-health issues. “I don’t think she understands what’s going on,” he said.

Pappas will undergo a competency evaluation and is scheduled to return to court in June.


Image via Redford Police/MLive. Contact the author of this post: brendan.oconnor@gawker.com.