2 charged in disposal of newborn as New Brunswick excavation continues

NEW BRUNSWICK, New Jersey (WABC) -- While an excavation continues in front of a home in the search for remains of a newborn, New Jersey prosecutors announced Friday that two people have been charged with the improper disposal of an infant.

Jaciel Torres-Lopez, 34, and 30-year-old Mercedes Sanchez-Torres, both of New Brunswick, are also charged with hindering an investigation into the death of their newborn and desecration of human remains.

Bail was set at $100,000 each.

Torres-Lopez remains at the Middlesex County Adult Corrections Center, where he has been held since his arrest on Tuesday after being charged with hindering for allegedly lying to police during the investigation.

Sanchez-Torres was charged Thursday at St. Peter's University Hospital, where she was admitted after giving birth to the male infant.

During the investigation, it was determined that the woman gave birth to the child, but his whereabouts were unknown. Police authorized the excavation of a sewer line at the couple's home on Remsen Avenue, with as many as 30 law enforcement officers searching the landfill for the infant's remains, which have yet to be recovered.

The search and the investigation are continuing, and it is still not known if the newborn had died before the couple allegedly discarded the remains.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Lemmerling of the New Brunswick Police Department at (732) 745-5200, or Detective Abromaitis of the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office at (732) 745-3300.