BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer
A Redwood City woman delivered a baby boy in a bathroom at the McDonald’s near Harry’s Hofbrau’s in Redwood City and tried to drown the newborn in the toilet after giving birth, a prosecutor said yesterday.
Sarah Lockner, 25, was working her shift at the McDonald’s at 185 Chestnut St. on Monday (Sept. 4) when she told coworkers she was having stomach pains, and was spending quite a bit of time in the bathroom, said San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Lockner was told by her boss to go home if she was in pain, and around 10 p.m. she clocked out but stayed in the bathroom, said Wagstaffe.
One of Lockner’s co-workers checked on her, and saw blood on the floor, said Wagstaffe. Lockner told the co-worker she was having a heavy menstrual cycle. But when a second co-worker went into the bathroom, she looked over the stall divider and saw a newborn child in the toilet in Lockner’s stall, the DA said.
Lockner had the baby boy face-down in the toilet and was pressing the child into the water, said Wagstaffe. The co-worker was told by Lockner not to tell the police, but the woman told their boss and called police.
The baby did not have a pulse when paramedics arrived, but was revived and was put into a coma at the hospital, Wagstaffe said.
The infant has been taken off of life support and has improved since Thursday, Wagstaffe said. It’s not clear whether what brain damage, if any, the baby sustained.
It is unclear who the baby will be released to once he is no longer under a doctor’s care. Child Protective Services is trying to determine if there is a family member the child can go to, Wagstaffe said.
Lockner had told some co-workers she did not know she was pregnant, and neither did Lockner’s boyfriend, Wagstaffe said.
Lockner has been charged with attempted murder causing great bodily injury and child abuse resulting in great bodily injury. If convicted, she could get a life prison sentence, Wagstaffe said.
Lockner was in court yesterday and was appointed a lawyer by the court, Wagstaffe said.
Lockner is in jail on $11 million bail and will be in court again on Sept. 18.
