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Woman accused of leaving newborn in toilet in Lancaster County waives preliminary hearing

WARWICK TOWNSHIP, Lancaster County — A Berks County woman accused of abandoning her newborn baby in a toilet at the Warwick Township group home where she ...
emmanuella osei_graphic

WARWICK TOWNSHIP, Lancaster County — A Berks County woman accused of abandoning her newborn baby in a toilet at the Warwick Township group home where she worked will stand trail on a felony count of endangering the welfare of a child after waiving a preliminary hearing Wednesday, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.

Emmanuella Osei, 21, will be formally arraigned in Lancaster County Court on March 8, District Judge Edward Tobin ordered.

Police say Osei gave birth to the boy while on a toilet Jan. 14 at the home, where she worked as a care assistant.

She allegedly made no attempts to assist or provide aid to the child, instead leaving him in the toilet where he was found partially submerged in water, according to police.

Northern Lancaster County Regional police and medics performed life-saving surgery on the boy.

The boy has been placed into the custody of Children & Youth Agency. The extent of his injuries is still being assessed.

On Wednesday, Tobin kept bail conditions as he previously ordered them: Osei is not eligible for bail due to the child’s condition and Osei’s connections to Ghana, where she came from to live in Reading in May 2018.

Although she denied being pregnant when asked by friends, co-workers and her uncle (who lives in the area), Osei was aware she was pregnant, police learned through the investigation. She was informed by medical professionals in Ghana (when she was about one-month pregnant) and as recently as Jan. 4, when she was seen at a facility in Berks County, police say.

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