Iowa woman tried to flush newborn, left it in trash, police say

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Authorities say an Iowa woman who tried to flush her newborn down a toilet then left the baby for dead in a hospital trash can has been charged with child endangerment.

University of Iowa police say 22-year-old Ashley Hautzenrader gave birth to the child Sunday in a bathroom at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

Police say Hautzenrader tried to flush the baby then put it in a pillowcase and left it in a trash can. A hospital employee found the newborn alive.

Hautzenrader, of Davenport, Iowa, admitted to officers that she left the child in the trash because she thought it had died. Court records don't list the name of an attorney who could comment on her behalf.

The baby's condition is unknown.