A young mother whose baby died shortly after she gave birth in her Palm Beach County home last year has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in the baby's death.
Bianca R. DeSouza, 21, was arrested Friday on charges of aggravated manslaughter of a child and child neglect with great bodily harm, Palm Beach County jail records showed.
The incident happened May 2, 2022, at a home in unincorporated Boca Raton, an arrest affidavit said.
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According to the affidavit, Palm Beach Sheriff's Office deputies and fire rescue had responded to a call of an unresponsive infant.
The infant was given CPR and epinephrine and was taken to a local hospital but he was declared dead a short time later.
Investigators learned DeSouza, who was 19 at the time, had given birth while she was alone in her home within a few hours of the emergency response, the affidavit said.
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Her mother had arrived home, found the infant unresponsive in DeSouza's bed and called 911, the affidavit said.
The mother said DeSouza had considered terminating the pregnancy but didn't, and was considering putting the baby up for adoption but hadn't made a decision, the affidavit said.
DeSouza was scheduled to be induced the next day, May 3, the mother said, according to the affidavit.
DeSouza told investigators the baby had been crying when he was born but had eventually stopped, so she took a shower, the affidavit said.
"Prior to the birth, she had abdominal pains consistent with contractions prior to the birth, however does not know why she did not call 911," the affidavit said. "She said the birth happened quickly and did not know [the baby] was dead until her mom came in."
DeSouza and her husband had agreed to give the baby up for adoption but her mother said DeSouza had been stressed over not finding a suitable family for adoption, the affidavit said.
The affidavit noted DeSouza no longer communicated with her husband after she was arrested in Texas for domestic violence, and said her husband is deployed with the military outside the continental United States.
DeSouza told investigators she couldn't recall what time of day it was when she gave birth, and just remembered being in her room and laying down when she felt a "big push" feeling, the affidavit said.
"I gave birth to him and I kind of just sat there. Really confused, I didn’t know what to do. I just sat there," she told investigators, according to the affidavit.
She added that when her mother arrived to the house, her screaming "woke me up out of it," the affidavit said.
According to the probable cause affidavit, her mother said DeSouza had been diagnosed as a bipolar schizophrenic with PTSD.
The affidavit stated DeSouza had "consistently used illicit drugs and medications not prescribed to her" while she was pregnant, including Xanax, oxycodone, marijuana, vaping and alcohol.
“I just didn’t do anything and I’m so mad. It was like my body stopped working," DeSouza told investigators, according to the affidavit. When asked what she would have done differently, she said “I would have someone, I would have called for help.”
On April 28, 2023, the medical examiner provided a report listing the cause of death as asphyxia and the manner of death homicide, the affidavit said.
A separate report noted DeSouza "did not attempt to move herself, remove the clothing, reposition the baby during and after the birth process, pick up, comfort, seek medical attention, or otherwise care for the child…she
did not attempt to create an environment where the neonate could breathe without restriction during the birth process and failed to ensure his wellbeing after being born."
DeSouza was booked into jail and later released on $25,000 bond, records showed. Attorney information wasn't available.
