2 Women Arrested in Death of Newborn

A woman and her mother were arrested on suspicion of killing the daughter’s newborn baby and discarding it in a trash bin, authorities said Tuesday.

Also in custody were her sister and a male friend.

Jimi Lee, 22, “gave birth sometime Monday afternoon and definitely in her apartment,” said Glendale Police Sgt. Rick Young.

Lee and her mother, Kisook Lee, 50, are expected to be charged with murder, Young said. Lee’s sister, Kum Shil Lee, 24, and a male friend, Daeuk Hong, 42, will probably face accessory to murder charges, or might also be charged with murder, Young said. “Our investigation is still ongoing.”

Investigators said Jimi Lee of Glendale gave birth to the baby in the Dixon Street condominium she shared with her sister and mother and then placed the baby in a plastic bag. The baby was believed to be full term.

The other three then allegedly took Lee to St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles for treatment, said Chahe Keuroghelian, Glendale Police Department spokesman.

“When she was being treated, the doctor knew she had given birth and asked where the baby was,” Keuroghelian said. “She eventually said she buried it in a park in Glendale.”

The doctor called the Los Angeles Police Department, who notified Glendale police, he said.

The baby’s body was later found a few miles west of the hospital in a trash bin on South Wilton Avenue.

“The other family members became involved in concealing the baby and getting Lee to the hospital and then disposing of the baby,” Young said.

Charges are expected to be filed Wednesday or Thursday, following completion of a coroner’s report to determine the cause of death, authorities said.