Michigan Mother Arrested After 6-Day-Old Baby Found Dead In Car

Police say they've arrested a mid-Michigan woman who had been sought since earlier this month after authorities found the body of her 6-day-old daughter in her car.

Lansing police say 35-year-old Ashley Shade was arraigned Thursday for failure to appear in court in a 2016 assault and battery case.

Police have said the Lansing woman's Toyota Camry was found parked March 19 but she wasn't there. Shade and the infant were missing since the night before.

Police initially responded to a report of an unresponsive infant at an apartment, but Shade and the baby were gone. Two girls, younger than 10 years old, were found at the home alone, according to Lansing State Journal.

However, the girls’ father reportedly came home and claimed that the infant was born in the bathroom, according to Child Protective Services records viewed by the State Journal. He allegedly told authorities that Shade had called him earlier that day and said “her baby was not breathing,” and when he got back to the apartment, he saw Shade crying despite the baby looking like she was sleeping.

Police say they've arrested Shade, who had been sought since earlier this month after authorities found the body of her 6-day-old daughter in her car. Photo: Lansing Police Department/AP

Shade has six other children, according to local outlet WWJ News Radio, and the state has withdrawn her parental rights to all of them. The CPS report says that four of the six other kids tested positive for drugs when they were born; Shade, meanwhile, reportedly tested positive for cannabis and cocaine during the pregnancies.

Police have said the baby had no signs of injury or trauma on her body, but official cause of death was pending.

Shade is currently in custody at the Lansing Police detention center on $11,000 bond, according to the State Journal.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.