2 women arrested after fetus found in storage container in parents' basement
05/12/2022 12:44 pm PDT
WAYNE, N.J. (TCD) -- Two women were arrested this week after a fetus was found inside a storage container in the basement of one of their parents' homes.
According to a joint statement from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office and Wayne Police Department, on May 8 at approximately 5:45 p.m., officers were sent to a home in Wayne because someone called about discovering a fetus in a storage container in their basement. The remains were sent to the Medical Examiner’s Office, who will conduct an autopsy.
On Wednesday, May 11, the Wayne Police Department announced the arrests of 36-year-old Nicole Tsentas and 36-year-old Amanda Walker for disturbing, desecrating human remains. Wayne Police said investigators learned Tsentas gave birth in July 2020, but the baby "was not moving or breathing."
Tsentas allegedly wrapped the newborn in a blanket and "placed it in her closet." She then told Walker about the baby. Walker allegedly helped Tsentas move the baby’s body to the residence in Wayne, where they then placed it in the storage bin. Tsentas reportedly later asked for the container, which is when the residents discovered the fetus.
According to court documents cited by NJ.com, Walker put the container in her parents' house.
Tsentas reportedly never knew she was pregnant. The documents say on July 2, 2020, Tsentas was driving home from a friend’s house when she started feeling pain. She reportedly told investigators she "pulled off the Parkway, on an unknown exit and attempted to use the bathroom."
According to the court documents, "Nicole states while pushing a child came out of her."
The child was reportedly stillborn. She allegedly left the child in her closet until November 2021 when she told Walker. On Mother’s Day, May 8, Walker allegedly asked her parents if Tsentas could retrieve a container from the basement with Harry Potter memorabilia. Walker’s father reportedly noticed a smell emanating from the bin, opened it, and saw the child.
Tsentas reportedly told police, "I was pregnant and didn’t know."
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