Self-Abortion Charges Dropped in Case of Fetus Left in Trash

The woman had been suspected of forcing a miscarriage with special herbal teas.

Authorities have dropped charges against a woman whose fetus was found in the trash, according to a source close to the investigation.   

The woman, Yaribely Almonte, 20, was arrested last month on a charge of self-abortion after police said her fetus was discovered in a yellow bucket near her Manhattan apartment building. She was released with an order to appear in court this month.      

There was no phone number listed for Almonte, and it was unclear whether she has an attorney.     

The self-abortion charge is a misdemeanor and refers to a female who forcibly causes a miscarriage when she is more than six months pregnant.

In New York, abortion is illegal after six months, unless it is necessary to save the female's life, according to the state penal code.      

A building superintendent found the fetus, wrapped in plastic and inside the bucket, police said. It's unclear how authorities tracked the fetus back to Almonte.   

It's believed she drank herbal tea to induce a miscarriage. The DA's office declined to prosecute the case, the source said Tuesday.  

Herbal teas said to induce miscarriages have long been known and tried by some women seeking to end their pregnancies, and such potions have remained somewhat common in Mexico and other parts of Latin America in recent years.     

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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