Jennifer Lebron, the mother of the child, has been accused of being involved in the death of the newborn, who was found dead in a bag in a dumpster behind a Rollins Road grocery store in Round Lake Beach on Aug. 26, 2001.
The Lake County Major Crimes Task Force initially investigated, and another woman was charged with first-degree murder in September of 2001. Those charges were later dropped.
In early 2024, Round Lake Beach investigators reopened the case and submitted the child's DNA for genetic genealogy testing, officials said.
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The testing identified a genetic match to someone related to the infant's father, which eventually led investigators to identify both the infant's father and mother, officials said.
The father is not suspected of any criminal activity, according to officials.
"I am extraordinarily proud of the determination of our detectives, as well as the investigators whose efforts began nearly 25 years ago. I was personally at the scene of this incident in 2001, and the memory of that day has remained with me throughout my career. Our children and senior citizens are among the most precious and vulnerable members of our community, and cases involving harm to them resonate especially deeply," Round Lake Beach Police Chief Ryan Rodriguez said.
Lebron was arrested Tuesday morning. She is due in court Wednesday morning.