April 28, 2026
Thom Carroll/For PhillyVoice
A teen girl was charged with killing her baby in Northern Liberties, the District Attorney's Office said.
A teen girl has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in the death of a newborn baby girl in a Northern Liberties apartment over the weekend.
The girl allegedly killed the infant shortly after giving birth. Her mental and physical state remain under investigation, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said Tuesday. Her name has not been released.
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Police found the hours-old newborn unresponsive in an apartment building on the 1100 block of North American Street on Saturday afternoon, and the baby was pronounced dead minutes later.
The medical examiner’s office has not revealed a cause of death, but a person familiar with the investigation told the Inquirer that the young mother, who the outlet reported is 17 years old, repeatedly stabbed the baby with a pair of scissors in her family’s apartment.
“What is clear now is that this heartbreaking incident constitutes criminal homicide and other criminal charges,” District Attorney Larry Krasner said in a statement. “... In addition, any potential medical and/or psychiatric needs of juvenile defendants must be addressed, as always, per the law.”
The Crisis Assistance, Response, and Engagement for Survivors unit has been in touch with the girl’s family and members of the surrounding community, officials said.
