Arizona Mom Accused of Throwing Baby into Trash at Amazon Facility

An Arizona mother accused of throwing her newborn baby into the trash at an Amazon facility in Phoenix told authorities she “panicked” when she gave birth because she did not know she was pregnant.

Authorities arrested Samantha Vivier, 22, and charged her on Tuesday with unlawful disposal of human remains after a janitor discovered the dead body of a newborn baby wrapped in plastic inside a women’s restroom trash bin at the Phoenix Amazon facility on January 17.

Vivier, an Amazon employee who worked at the facility, told police she gained 15 pounds but did not realize the weight gain was because of pregnancy, according to court documents obtained by the Arizona Republic.

She claimed she had not seen a doctor over the past year and did not feel the baby moving inside her, police said.

Vivier told police she gave birth on her lunch break around 11:30 a.m., but remained “confident” that the baby was stillborn.

A fellow employee gave her towels and a plastic bag to clean up the blood and bodily fluids on the floor while Vivier remained in the bathroom stall.

Vivier said she placed the baby’s body in the trash receptacle to hide the birth from the baby’s father.

The janitor came into the bathroom to empty the trash receptacle, noticing it was unusually heavy before finding the baby “unresponsive.”

Vivier was released without bail on Tuesday evening after prosecutors said there was not enough evidence to prove Vivier caused harm to the baby. A medical examiner is set to determine the baby’s cause of death.

Amazon issued a statement calling the incident “terribly sad and tragic,” and offered to give employees at the site access to counselors as needed.

The state of Arizona has a safe haven law allowing people to anonymously leave newborn babies up to three days old at a hospital, fire station, or church without penalty.

“You can leave your baby, up to 3 days old, with an on duty staff member at any hospital, emergency medical service provider, fire station or with any licensed private child welfare agency, licensed adoption agency or any church in Arizona,” the Safe Haven website states.