Angela Alexie, left, arrives to be arraigned in court in Eastpointe, Mich., on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015. Alexie, whose newborn baby was found dead at a Detroit-area recycling center after she gave birth in a garage, was charged Wednesday with murder and child abuse. Investigators say the 24-year-old Alexie disclosed that she gave birth alone in a garage in Eastpointe on Dec. 22, and the baby was left there to die a few days later. The body ended up at a recycling center in nearby Roseville where workers discovered it on Jan. 14. (AP Photo/The Detroit News, David Coates)
The Associated Press
EASTPOINTE, Mich. (AP) - A woman whose baby was found dead at a Detroit-area recycling center weeks after she gave birth alone in an unheated garage was charged Wednesday with murder and child abuse.
The boy, born just a few days before Christmas, "must have suffered greatly" while left in the garage with low temperatures in the 30s, Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said.
Angela Alexie, 24, appeared in court in handcuffs, with her head down and her long hair covering her face as a detective offered details about a case that has gripped the region for two weeks. She said she had no permanent address or job.
Investigators initially believed the baby might be a missing newborn from the Lansing area, 85 miles west, but tests ruled that out. Police were stumped about the boy's identity until crucial tips rolled in due to news coverage.
Eastpointe Judge Carl Gerds set bond at $1 million and said he would appoint a lawyer for Alexie.
She told investigators that she gave birth in a garage in Eastpointe on Dec. 22, behind a home where she was living temporarily, Berlin said. The infant survived just a few days, likely dying due to exposure.
"She made statements that she'd go out every couple hours, try to feed him and see if he was all right until he passed away," the police chief said.
The body was discovered on Jan. 14 at a recycling center nearby in Roseville.
Alexie denied placing the body in a recycling bin for curbside pickup, Berlin said, but "we believe she acted alone."
He said she didn't give a reason for her actions.
Alexie had three other children, ages 1 to 4, but doesn't have custody of them. The 1-year-old was also born without medical assistance, Berlin said.
___
Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwhiteap
The body of a deceased infant boy was found by refuse sorters at the RE Community recycling center in Roseville, Mich., Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015. night. Police say the mother of a baby found dead at the Detroit-area recycling center had three other children but lost custody of them. Roseville Chief James Berlin says the 24-year-old woman is expected to appear in court Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015, in Eastpointe, Mich. (AP Photo/The Detroit News, Todd McInturf)
The Associated Press
Angela Alexie is arraigned in court in Eastpointe, Mich., on Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015. Alexie, whose newborn baby was found dead at a Detroit-area recycling center after she gave birth in a garage, was charged Wednesday with murder and child abuse. Investigators say the 24-year-old Alexie disclosed that she gave birth alone in a garage in Eastpointe on Dec. 22, and the baby was left there to die a few days later. The body ended up at a recycling center in nearby Roseville where workers discovered it on Jan. 14. (AP Photo/The Detroit News, David Coates)
The Associated Press
This photo provided by the Roseville, Mich. Police Dept., shows Angela Alexie. Alexie, 24, whose newborn baby was found dead at a Detroit-area recycling center weeks after she gave birth alone in an unheated garage was charged Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2015 with murder and child abuse. She told investigators that she gave birth in a garage in Eastpointe on Dec. 22, behind a home where she was living temporarily, Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said. The baby lived just a few days. (AP Photo/ Roseville, Mich. Police Department)
The Associated Press