A mother who pleaded guilty to tossing her newborn baby girl in a Boca Raton dumpster over three years ago will spend years behind bars.
Rafaelle Sousa, 38, entered the plea and was sentenced Wednesday to seven and a half years behind bars. She will be credited with three years served and will spend five years on probation after she is released.
Sousa admitted to delivering the baby before placing her in a bag and throwing it in the dumpster of the Boca Raton complex on May 8, 2019.
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Palm Beach Sheriff's Office officials said the newborn weighed 6 pounds, 8 ounces and had her umbilical cord still attached. A lieutenant with the sheriff's office said the baby is "cute as a button."
Authorities said the baby was found by two people who were walking near an apartment complex when they heard what sounded like a baby crying. The girl was taken to a local hospital to get checked out.
Custody of the baby was given to her father.
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Under Florida law, newborns can be dropped off anonymously at a hospital or fire station with no questions asked.
