Girl, 17, held after baby found in trash bag

EVERETT – A Snohomish County Superior Court judge set bail at $50,000 Monday for a 17-year-old girl who police say left her newborn in a black plastic garbage bag in nearby Marysville.

The girl, whose name has not been released, was being held at the Denny Juvenile Justice Center in Everett and could face a charge of abandoning a dependent person. The Snohomish County Prosecutor’s Office has until Wednesday to file charges.

Neighbors heard the baby crying Saturday night and found it, bloody and apparently no more than a few hours old, beside a retaining pond in Marysville, just across a cul-de-sac from where the teen lives with relatives.

The child had a mild case of hypothermia and was taken to Providence Everett Medical Center, Fire Battalion Chief Scott Goodale said Sunday. Hospital officials would not release information on the baby’s condition.

Police followed droplets of blood to the teen’s home, where they arrested her. She was released from a hospital early Monday before being transferred to the juvenile justice center.