Angela Onduto, 46, has been arrested for allegedly killing her newborn daughter and abandoning the body in a dumpster in 2009. A passerby discovered the remains, initially mistaking them for a baby doll. An autopsy revealed the infant was drowned shortly after birth. Investigators maintained an open case for over a decade and utilized new forensic techniques, including genetic genealogy, to identify Onduto, who lived at the Parkside Apartments at the time. The baby was named Matea Esperanza, signifying a lost life with potential.
On the evening of May 18, 2009, a man looking for recycling was going through the dumpster of the Parkside Apartments in Union City. He found what he thought was a baby doll, but soon realized it was actually the remains of a deceased newborn.
When an autopsy was performed, it was discovered the baby girl was drowned shortly after she was born. Compounding the tragedy was the fact that both police and fire stations were located nearby.
In recent years, investigators began exploring new forensic techniques to identify the baby's mother. Using a DNA profile developed from the baby, investigators used genetic genealogy to narrow down a pool of potential suspects.
Union City police named the girl Matea Esperanza, Hebrew for 'gift from god' and Spanish for 'hope,' and bought her a permanent marker at her gravesite at Chapel of the Chimes.
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