‘Hope we never repeat this’: Safe Haven Baby Box founder reacts after Louisville infant’s body found in trunk

LOUISVILLE, Ky. ( FOX 56 ) — The founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes took to social media to remind parents in crisis that there are resources available to them after an infant’s body was found in Louisville.

On July 6, a mother was arrested and charged with abuse of a corpse after her baby was found dead inside the trunk of her car, court documents state. Daira Mejia Aguilar, 22, reportedly gave birth on or around July 2.

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Aguilar reportedly told detectives that she wrapped the baby in a blanket, placed it inside a trash bag, and left the bag in the closet of her apartment. Court documents state that when officers arrived after receiving the report, the bag was found inside the closet with possible blood and flies inside. Aguilar allegedly admitted to moving the infant’s body to the trunk of her car before their arrival.

Inside the car’s trunk, officers found the infant’s body wrapped in the blanket inside of the bag. The infant reportedly appeared to be a full-term newborn in the early stages of decomposition, per court documents.

Monica Kelsey, founder of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, shared a video on social media following the news. Kelsey started the program after learning she was abandoned at a hospital as an infant. She made it her mission to raise awareness surrounding the Safe Haven Law and give parents in crisis accessible and safe options for their children.

“We’ve been doing billboards and education and awareness in Louisville for the last four years. So we’re on it,” Kelsey said. “Let’s hope we never repeat this.”

According to Kelsey, there are four Safe Haven Baby Boxes in the Louisville area.

“This didn’t have to happen,” Kelsey said. “If there’s anyone in the Louisville area that wants to do any education and awareness in the schools or at camps, get ahold of us. We can’t let this happen again.”

Kelsey has over 960,000 followers on TikTok and uses the platform to educate the public on how the baby boxes work, share success stories, and announce new locations across the nation. Safe Haven Baby Boxes has over 230 locations across the nation, with nearly 40 in Kentucky, according to the website. As FOX 56 previously reported , around 50 infants have been surrendered at Safe Haven Baby Box locations across the U.S. since 2017.

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For more information on Safe Haven Baby Boxes and locations, click here .

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