East Hartford Infant Found Dead in Trash Can: Police

East Hartford police are investigating after an infant was found dead in a trash can Tuesday night.

Police were alerted of the incident after a doctor at Connecticut Children's Medical Center evaluated an 18-year-old who showed signs of having given birth but had no baby with her, according to police.

Authorities responded to a home on Tolland Street around 8:30 p.m. and found what appeared to be recently delivered baby unresponsive in a trash can outside the house.

Officers obtained a search warrant and spent several hours investigating Tuesday evening, along with the department's Evidentiary Services Unit, which responds to major crime scenes.

The circumstances of the baby's death are unclear.

Police said Wednesday afternoon that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner will need to run further tests to determine the child's cause of death. An autopsy was scheduled to be performed today.

The home remains cordoned off with and a tent was raised over two trash cans outside the house, including the one found to contain the infant's body.

Neighbors said they were shocked to learn what had happened and had never seen a teen at the home who appeared to be pregnant.

"They're definitely just like your regular family. You wouldn't think that something like this would happen to them," said neighbor Renea daCosta.

No one answered the door at the home in question when NBC Connecticut arrived to request a comment.

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