Murder rap for mother in Bay Ridge

By Matthew Lysiak
The Brooklyn Paper

The mother who allegedly left her newborn baby girl outside to die has been charged with murder.

Laura Sergio, 25, was indicted last week for smothering her newborn with a towel shortly after giving birth, according to District Attorney Charles Hynes. The indictment said that Sergio left the baby in a plastic bag at a Colonial Road home on April 6, and that the crime was discovered only after Sergio went to a nearby hospital complaining of abdominal pain.

Sergio “left a helpless victim to die,” said Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Kagan at Sergio’s April 9 arraignment.

At the same court hearing, Sergio’s lawyer Thomas Cascione insisted that his client thought she was constipated, not pregnant, and that she was very confused about events surrounding the baby’s birth.

This week, Cascione was unavailable for comment.

The scene around the Colonial Road Tudor-style home is somber, as neighbors remain in shock over the heinous act.

Sergio is facing life in prison — all for an death that could have been easily avoided.

“This is a tragic incident by a desperate young woman,” said Councilman Vince Gentile (D–Bay Ridge). “These incidents can be avoided through awareness of [laws that] allow parents to leave newborn babies at safe haven sites like police precincts and hospitals.

“Our goal is to ensure the safety of children,” Gentile added.