BY EMILY MIBACH
Daily Post Staff Writer
The Redwood City woman accused of trying to drown her newborn baby boy after giving birth in a McDonald’s bathroom is expected to be sentenced today (May 3).
Prosecutors want Sarah Lockner, 26, to receive four years in state prison, while her public defender, Jonathan McDougall, wants her to receive five years’ probation and go to counseling for child abusers, according to memos filed in court by both sides.
Lockner pleaded no contest to a charge of felony child endangerment causing great bodily injury on Jan. 14. By taking the plea deal, Lockner avoided a jury trial.
On Sept. 4, 2017, Lockner was at work at the McDonald’s at 185 Chestnut St. in Redwood City when she began to suffer from stomach cramps and started to feel warm and fatigued, according to court testimony.
Lockner told the investigating police officer that she felt like she needed to use the restroom and that she had excruciating menstrual cramps. But after using the bathroom, Lockner noticed an umbilical cord and a newborn baby face down in the toilet.
Co-worker saw baby in toilet
Lockner allegedly told police that she had picked up the baby, wiped off his face, and placed him back in the toilet, face up, and denied trying to drown the boy.
One of Lockner’s fellow employees entered the bathroom and looked over the stall to see Lockner with her hand on the baby’s back. But the employee could not tell what Lockner was doing, whether she was pushing the baby down, trying to pick it up or just resting her hand on the baby, according to Detective David Cirina.
The co-worker asked Lockner if she was trying to kill the baby, and Lockner told her no, police saud.
Child recovering
The baby she allegedly tried to drown, Adrian, is now 19 months old and has been living with his father’s aunt. He has shown no signs of developmental disabilities, District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said in January.
Wagstaffe said if Lockner receives four years, she will only have to serve about two years because of the time she has already served in county jail.
Lockner, who is in jail in lieu of $11 million bail, will appear in court today (May 3) at 8:30 a.m.
