The family of the 19-year-old accused of giving birth to a stillborn baby—and then throwing the baby's body in her Bronx building's garbage chute—is reeling about the news. One of Ariel Devonish-Francis' brothers told the Daily News that he had no idea his sister was pregnant or that she was giving birth on Saturday.
Clifton Jones said, "She kept constantly going back and forth to the bathroom — I thought it was maybe something she ate. If I would have known, things would have been different."
Another brother, Rafael Francis, told NBC New York, "She must have been in shock," and that she "wouldn't hurt a fly." Also: "He said that while she only announced she was pregnant a few days ago, she had discussed keeping the baby."
Apparently Devonish-Francis, who was 32 weeks pregnant, gave birth to the boy in the bathtub. She later went to the hospital with her mother and admitted she threw the body in the trash.
Devonish-Francis, has been charged with unlawful disposal of a cadaver, a misdemeanor. The ME's office determined that the baby was stillborn.
