Plea deal near for Wheaton mom charged with abandoning baby?
A Wheaton mother who is accused of abandoning her newborn infant son underneath a bush is considering a plea deal, her lawyer said Monday.
Nunu Sung, a 24-year-old Myanmar native, faces up to three years in prison if she is convicted of obstructing justice and misdemeanor endangering the life of a child.
She does not have a prior documented criminal history.
Her lawyer, Jeffrey York, told DuPage Circuit Judge Blanche Hill Fawell that Sung is considering a plea offer from prosecutors rather than fighting the allegations at trial. Lawyers did not disclose details of the offer, but prosecutors previously suggested they want Sung to serve the maximum prison sentence for the crime. They also may pursue more serious felony charges.
Judge Fawell granted York's request to continue the case until Nov. 30 to give Sung time to consider her options. Sung did not speak during her brief court hearing.
She was set free July 16 after supporters helped her family raise the required 10 percent of a $50,000 bond. Sung is required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet.
Prosecutor Brian Perkins said Sung abandoned the infant early June 12 after she gave birth behind a garage outside her cousin's apartment on Crescent Street in Wheaton. A neighbor called 911 after he and his dog discovered the nude baby, his umbilical cord still attached, covered in dirt under a bush.
The baby, named Joshua, survived and is in foster care. Nunu Sung has been allowed to have regular supervised visits with the child.
Authorities said an unwed Sung became pregnant while living in Texas. The father has not expressed an interest in pursuing custody, officials said. Sung does not have other children. She did not receive prenatal care during her pregnancy, which she hid from relatives after moving to Wheaton from Texas in February.
Sung initially said she felt no emotional connection to the infant and wished they both had died during his delivery, authorities said, but the tearful woman repeatedly asked about his health in earlier court hearings and if she could have contact.