Police arrested a woman in a Tokyo suburb Wednesday for allegedly attempting to kill her newborn baby by covering him with earth and abandoning him on a riverbank, officers said.
The baby boy was found by a resident who lives near the river in Higashimurayama, with most of his body covered by dirt. The baby developed a fever due to an infection, but is currently not in a life-threatening condition.
Shiho Komatsu, a 35-year-old employee of a shipping company, gave birth to the baby in the early hours of Aug. 2 in a restroom at a business in neighboring Saitama Prefecture she was visiting for work, according to the police.
Police quoted the mother as having told investigators, "I didn't intend to kill him, but I think pouring earth on him amounts to having that intention."
Komatsu is alleged to have buried the baby at around 9:30 a.m. the same day. He was discovered about 24 hours later after the resident heard a baby crying. Only some of the child's body, including his hands, was visible from beneath the earth covering him, the police said.
Footage from a security camera near the scene was said to have helped police track down the suspect.