Mother who tried to drown newborn baby in McDonald's toilet moments after giving birth avoids jail time
A woman from California accused of trying to drown her baby in a McDonald's toilet shortly after giving birth in 2017 will not have to serve prison time.
The mother, identified as 27-year-old Sarah Jane Lockner, accepted a plea deal earlier this year. However, she was sentenced last week to four years of supervised probation, according to PEOPLE.
A San Mateo County District Attorney's Office spokesperson said that Lockner was initially charged with attempted murder. However, the charge against her was dropped after she pleaded no contest to a single felony child endangerment count in January 2019.
The spokesperson added that Lockner, on Friday, was sentenced to a year in prison. However, she walked out of court just moments later after she received credit for the time she had already served in prison in the interim. Lockner was also ordered to complete a series of parenting classes, according to reports. She must also complete a series of parenting classes.
The 27-year-old was working as a cashier in a McDonald's in California when she gave birth inside a bathroom stall. She was arrested after investigators learned that she had allegedly attempted to flush the newborn down the toilet.
According to Redwood City Police, Lockner, who had complained to coworkers of stomach pain, was in and out of the bathroom on the day of the incident.
Lockner's coworker, while talking to officers, said that when she went into the bathroom to check on Lockner, she saw blood on the floor. When she asked Lockner about her health, the 27-year-old dismissed her coworker's concerns, claiming she was having a "heavy period."
Prosecutors said that another coworker told detectives that when she looked over the stall, she saw a newborn baby face down in the toilet bowl. The coworker also added that she saw Lockner's had on the baby's back.
First responders were called to the scene and the baby was rushed to a nearby hospital after they successfully resuscitated him.
The prosecution spokesperson said that the child is doing fine and is currently living with the father's relatives.