May 20 (UPI) — A Georgia woman accused of leaving her newborn child for dead in a plastic bag in the woods four years ago was denied bond during an initial court appearance on Saturday.
Karima Jiwani, 40, has been charged with attempted murder of a family member, jail records show.
She also faces charges of cruelty to children, aggravated assault, reckless abandonment and dumping of biomedical or hazardous waste for allegedly tying her newborn infant in a plastic bag and dumping her in the woods “to suffocate and die,” officials said.
The infant came to be known as “Baby India” when she was found alive in 2019 by a couple in Cumming, Ga., who heard what they thought were animal sounds coming from the woods, WXIA-TV reported.
Baby India’s mother was unknown until investigators were able to identify her father through DNA testing 10 months ago.
From there they were able to identify Jiwani, who was arrested by Forsyth County, Ga., deputies on Thursday, authorities said in a statement.
“I cannot find the words to describe how someone who should have done their best for a newborn child, instead did their worst,” Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman said.
During her court appearance, Jiwani’s lawyer argued that as a married mother of three she wasn’t a flight risk and that she was suffering from postpartum depression when she allegedly abandoned the infant.
District Attorney Penny Penn, however, argued that postpartum depression doesn’t last long enough to account for Jiwani’s actions, WAGA-TV reported.
“It’s very concerning that this happened four years ago,” Judge Keisha Martin Chambers said as she denied bond.
“So, at this point in time, I’m going to find that the defendant poses a significant risk in fleeing and that the defendant is a significant risk of intimidating witnesses or otherwise obstructing the administration of justice.”
