Abandoned Baby Found Dead on University of Tampa Campus

The infant's mother is in the hospital, according to police

• The newborn and her mother have not been publicly identified

• It is unclear what condition the newborn was in when she was found in the campus garbage

• Florida expanded its Safe Haven Law this year, so that parents may anonymously surrender their infants within 30 days of birth, up from just 7 days. That law goes into effect in July

A newborn was found wrapped in a towel and placed in a garbage bin on the University of Tampa’s campus.

Police recovered the remains of a baby girl around 7 p.m. the night of April 28 and transported her body to the medical examiner’s office for an autopsy, the Tampa Police Department said in a press release Monday.

Her mother was subsequently “located and transported to a nearby hospital,” according to police.

“The loss of a child is always a tragedy,” Chief Bercaw said in a statement. “As our department actively investigates this incident, we want all expectant mothers to know there are resources available.”

The case remains under investigation. No charges have yet been made public, and neither the mother nor infant have been publicly identified.

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. 

It was not clear how old the baby was, but police referred to her as a “newborn,” which by state law is defined as an infant in their first week of life.

Florida’s Safe Haven Law enables parents to surrender their newborns to hospitals, fire stations and EMS stations. Parents can remain anonymous, so long as their newborn is unharmed.

“There will be no questions asked,” police said in the press release. “And no charges will be filed for surrendering a newborn under the Safe Haven Law unless the infant has signs of abuse or neglect.”

Across the county, the National Safe Haven Alliance estimates that the lives of 29 babies have been saved so far this year, and since measurements with early laws began in 1999, 4,783 babies were saved because their parents had a safe place to relinquish custody of them, according to the group’s online statistics.

In January, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill expanding Safe Haven protections in the state, enabling a parent to surrender their infant to a hospital, fire station or emergency medical services agency within the first 30 days after they are born. (Previously, parents had to surrender the newborn within a week of birth.) The law’s language has been updated from “newborn infant” to “infant.”

“This gives parents more time to make a decision, potentially preventing the unsafe abandonment of infants older than 7 days,” according to an analysis of the law.

Parents may also call 911 and meet with an emergency medical services provider at a specified location.

The bill goes into effect July 1.

If you are overwhelmed and need help, you may call or text The National Safe Haven Alliance Hotline: 1-888-510-BABY (2229).

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.