A woman in California was arrested on Saturday after allegedly stabbing her 7-month-old son to death in Del Valle Regional Park, InsideBayArea.com reported.
Ashley Newton, 23, is facing murder charges, East Bay Regional Park District Police Chief Timothy Anderson said. The infant was pronounced dead at the scene though several on- and off-duty first responders tried to revive him.
The incident began around 10:30 a.m. when police received a call about a crash on Arroyo Drive, close to a popular children's camp. According to Anderson, officers discovered a damaged gray Honda Civic but no driver.
Though police initially assumed it may have been struck by a hit-and-run driver, the baby seat in the back prompted authorities to search more extensively.
Two hours later, police saw a woman walking up Arroyo Road and carrying a baby, who was visibly silent and not moving. As they got closer, they saw the infant had been stabbed multiple times, Anderson said.
A possible motive for the incident is uncertain but investigators believe Newton may be suffering from depression.
"I am very curious about why she may have done what she did," Anderson said. "Many of our officers have families of their own. Something like this hits them really hard."
Additionally, Newton was found with a cut on her body and a pocket knife was recovered from the scene. Following the frightening discovery, Arroyo Road was closed down for the rest of the day.
"This kind of thing rarely happens in our jurisdiction," Anderson told InsideBayArea.com. "This is an extremely shocking case for us."
