GOSHEN – The woman, who gave birth in a Town of Newburgh motel room on November 1, 2018 and then dumped the newborn into the toilet before fleeing, was sentenced by Orange County Court Judge Craig Stephen Brown on Tuesday to 10 years in state prison and five years of post-release supervision.
Teresa Smith, 23, pled guilty to assault in April admitting her actions in abandoning the infant in the toilet bowl and leaving the motel caused serious injury to the child which created a substantial risk of death.
Prosecutors had recommended a 15 year prison sentence.
The newborn was discovered by Newburgh Town Police after workers at the Budget Inn Motel on Route 9W found blood, other bodily fluids and soiled clothes in the room and called them.
The baby was rushed to the hospital and survived.
“It is hard to comprehend what could drive any mother to do this to her own baby by abandoning him under these circumstances,” said District Attorney David Hoovler. “Infants are the most innocent of victims. We can only hope that there are no long-lasting physical effects which will be suffered by the victim in this case.”
Hoovler credited the fast response by the police with rescuing and saving the child.
